measuring stomatal characteristics

[Frank Berninger]

Hi everyone,

At the moment, we try to investigate the influence of stomatal 
anatomy on the diffusion of gases through the stomata. My colleages 
from the Department of Physics try to use a numerical model to 
describe these diffusion processes in the steady state.

To validate and test the model it would be necessary to measure 
stomatal frequencies and dimensions (witdth opening, depth and width 
of the stomatal cavity and some similar things....). 

There are more or less two questions on these issues: Are there any 
kind of standard methodologies to measure these characteristics? (And 
where are they published? Has anybody any idea how good these 
methodologies are?) and how to avoid the sampling problems 
when scaling up from the stomata to the birch leaf or pine needle?

Greetings 

            Frank BerningerFRANK BERNINGER
DEPARTMENT OF FOREST ECOLOGY
PL 24
00014 UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
FINLAND
TEL +358-(9)0-1917689
FAX +358-(9)0-1917605