Top-down rehydration: role of multiple water sources in mangrove function (ARC Discovery Project administered by The Australian National University) (2015-2017)
Abstract
The capacity of shoots to absorb atmospheric water (vapour, mist, rain, dew) could profoundly affect the diversity, survival and productivity of mangroves where high soil salinity limits water uptake by roots, particularly during hot, dry conditions. The proposed project will combine cutting-edge analytical and imaging techniques to assess contributions of atmospheric water sources (vapour, mist, rain, dew) to shoot water balances, identify leaf traits associated with top-down rehydration, and determine the relative importance of different sources of water used by mangroves in maintenance of photosynthetic carbon assimilation along natural gradients in salinity and aridity.
