Evidence of Hydropassive Movement in Stomatal Oscillations of Glycyrrhiza inflata under Desert Conditions

Stomatal conductance was found to change from steady-state to a state of oscillations during daytime when vapour pressure deficit (VPD) increased to a value of 1 kPa in Glycyrrhiza inflata Batalin grown under the conditions of arid desert in north-west China. The injected metabolic inhibitors (NaN 3 or carbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone (CCCP)) slightly reduced the stomatal conductance but did not significantly decrease the intensity of stomatal oscillations (amplitude/average). The oscillation intensity was found to be significantly correlated with VPD and root resistance, but not with the respiration rate. There might exist a minimum threshold of VPD (0.8 kPa) and root resistance (1/4 relative value) that induced stomatal oscillations. These results suggested that stomatal oscillations induced by atmospheric drought stress and root resistance were mainly a type of hydropassive movement.