The impacts of Dust and Sand Storms (DSS) on people, crops, livestock, infrastructure and health are well documented. Data have accumulated on the deleterious effects of dust aerosols when they settle on plants. Sand blasting of low growing plants is a common cause of failure in reforestation efforts. Burial of plants by moving sands are also a cause of much damage. The physics of moving sand a...

Sap flow, and atmospheric and soil water data were collected in closed-top chambers under conditions of high soil water potential for saplings of Liquidambar styraciflua L., Quercus phellos L. and Pinus taeda L., three co-occurring species in the southeastern USA. Responses of canopy stomatal conductance (g(t)) to water stress induced by high atmospheric water vapor demand or transpiration rate...

In order to investigate the effects of water stress on total phenolics content, antioxidant power, β-glucosidase activity and stomatal properties of alfalfa, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design was carried out in 1-Lit pots containing half strength Hoagland culture medium using two cultivars of alfalfa at four osmotic pressures including 0 (control), -0.5, -1.0 and ...

the impacts of dust and sand storms (dss) on people, crops, livestock, infrastructure and health are well documented. data have accumulated on the deleterious effects of dust aerosols when they settle on plants. sand blasting of low growing plants is a common cause of failure in reforestation efforts. burial of plants by moving sands are also a cause of much damage. the physics of moving sand a...

Oxygen isotope signatures of transpiration (δ E ) are powerful tracers of water movement from plant to global scale. However, a mechanistic understanding of how leaf morphological/physiological traits effect δ E is missing. A laser spectrometer was coupled to a leaf-level gas-exchange system to measure fluxes and isotopic signatures of plant transpiration under controlled conditions in seven di...

Theoretically, progressive drought can force trees into negative carbon (C) balance by reducing stomatal conductance to prevent water loss, which also decreases C assimilation. At higher temperatures, negative C balance should be initiated at higher soil moisture because of increased respiratory demand and earlier stomatal closure. Few data are available on how these theoretical relationships i...

The impact of water deficit on stomatal conductance (g(s)), petiole hydraulic conductance (K(petiole)), and vulnerability to cavitation (PLC, percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity) in leaf petioles has been observed on field-grown vines (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chasselas). Petioles were highly vulnerable to cavitation, with a 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity at a stem xylem water potential ...