Responses of leaf stomatal and mesophyll conductance to abiotic stress factors

Abstract

Plant photosynthesis assimilates CO2 from the atmosphere, and CO2 diffusion efficiency is mainly constrained by stomatal and mesophyll resistance. The stomatal and mesophyll conductance of plants are sensitive to abiotic stress factors, which affect the CO2 concentrations at carboxylation sites to control photosynthetic rates. Early studies conducted relevant reviews on the responses of stomatal conductance to the environment and the limitations of mesophyll conductance by internal structure and biochemical factors. However, reviews on the abiotic stress factors that systematically regulate plant CO2 diffusion are rare. Therefore, in this review, the rapid and long-term responses of stomatal and mesophyll conductance to abiotic stress factors (such as light intensity, drought, CO2 concentration and temperature) and their physiological mechanisms are summarized. Finally, future research trends are also investigated.

Keywords

• CO2 diffusion
• abiotic stress factors
• stomatal conductance
• mesophyll conductance