Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Geobiology. 2010 Mar;8(2):112-39. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2010.00232.x.
This review examines the evolution of the plant vascular system from its beginnings in the green algae to modern arborescent plants, highlighting the recent advances in developmental, organismal, geochemical and climatological research that have contributed to our understanding of the evolution of xylem. Hydraulic trade-offs in vascular structure-function are discussed in the context of canopy support and drought and freeze-thaw stress resistance. This qualitative and quantitative neontological approach to palaeobotany may be useful for interpreting the water-transport efficiencies and hydraulic limits in fossil plants. Large variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are recorded in leaf stomatal densities, and may have had profound impacts on the water conservation strategies of ancient plants. A hypothesis that links vascular function with stomatal density is presented and examined in the context of the evolution of wood and/or vessels. A discussion of the broader impacts of plant transport on hydrology and climate concludes this review.
这篇综述考察了植物维管系统从绿藻起源到现代树木状植物的进化历程，重点介绍了在发育、机体、地球化学和气候研究方面的最新进展，这些进展有助于我们理解木质部的进化。本文还讨论了维管结构-功能的水力权衡关系，包括冠层支撑以及干旱和冻融胁迫抵抗力。这种对古植物学的定性和定量新生事物的研究方法，可能有助于解释化石植物的水分传输效率和水力限制。叶片气孔密度记录了大气二氧化碳水平的巨大变化，这可能对古代植物的节水策略产生了深远的影响。本文提出了一个将维管功能与气孔密度联系起来的假说，并在木材和/或导管进化的背景下进行了检验。本文还讨论了植物运输对水文和气候的更广泛影响。
