A Coordination Model of Whole-plant Carbon Allocation in Relation to Water Stress

Although water is an important determinant of the allocationof material between roots and shoots during growth, and oftenparallels the effects of nitrogen, few models have explicitlyconsidered allocation in relation to water supply. We use coordinationtheory to develop a simple exponential model that considersallocation of dry matter between shoots and roots during growthin relation to carbon and watersupplies, and accounts for theeffects of water stress on growth. We compare coordinationvs.optimization(global and local) versions of the exponential model by examiningsimilarities and differences in model behaviour obtained underconstant and variable environmental conditions, and with drasticallychanging conditions (mild, moderate and severe water stress).The greatest differences between coordination and optimizationexist in the drastically changing conditions. In a second versionof the model, we remove the restriction of exponential growthand show how coordination principles can be extended to a morecomplicated structure. The non-exponential model is used toanalyse experimental data on the effects of different pot sizes(and hence water availability) on root restriction and plantgrowth as reported by Thomas and Strain (Plant Physiology96:627–634, 1991). With further refinements, the coordinationmodel has potential as a tool to model plant growth in relationto water supply under various environmental conditions. Optimization; functional balance; root: shoot ratio; root restriction