Altered stomatal dynamics induced by changes in irradiance and vapour‐pressure deficit under drought: impacts on the whole‐plant transpiration efficiency of poplar genotypes

Recent findings were able to show significant variability of stomatal dynamics between species, but not much is known about factors influencing stomatal dynamics and its consequences on biomass production, transpiration and water‐use efficiency (WUE). We assessed the dynamics of stomatal conductance (gₛ) to a change of irradiance or vapour‐pressure deficit (VPD) in two Populus euramericana and two Populus nigra genotypes grown under control and drought conditions. Our objectives were to determine the diversity of stomatal dynamics among poplar genotypes, and if soil water deficit can alter it. Physiological and morphological factors were investigated to find their potential links with stomatal morphology, WUE and its components at the whole‐plant level. We found significant genotypic variability of gₛ dynamics to both irradiance and VPD. Genotypes with faster stomatal dynamics were correlated with higher stomatal density and smaller stomata, and the implications of these correlations are discussed. Drought slowed gₛ dynamics, depending on genotype and especially during stomatal closing. This finding is contrary to previous research on more drought‐tolerant species. Independently of the treatment, faster stomatal dynamics were negatively correlated with daily whole‐plant transpiration, presenting new evidence of a previously hypothesized contribution of stomatal dynamics to whole‐plant water use.