Matthew E. Gilbert

TL;DR: This article used a short-term litterbag experiment to quantify the effects of litter quality, placement and mesofaunal exclusion on decomposition in 23 tropical forests in 14 countries, in which two standard substrates (Raphia farinifera and Laurus nobilis ) were decomposed in fine-and coarse-mesh litterbags both above and below ground for approximately 1 year.

TL;DR: The observed patterns of photosynthetic advantage for particular genotypes are likely to be consistent across a range of environmental conditions, and suggests that it is possible to employ a selection strategy of breeding water-saving soybeans with high photosynthesis capacities to compensate for otherwise reduced photosynthesis in genotypes with lower stomatal conductance.

TL;DR: The findings suggest that the high metabolic sensitivity of photosynthesis to severe drought seen previously in several C4 grass species may be an inherent characteristic of the C4 pathway, which may explain the paradox of why C4 species decline in arid environments despite high water-use efficiency.

TL;DR: The drought-sensitive metabolism of the C4 plants could explain the observed slower recovery of photosynthesis on re-watering, in comparison with C3 plants which recovered a greater proportion of photoynthesis through increased stomatal conductance.

TL;DR: This study provides new evidence that variations in the distribution of hydraulic resistance within the leaf and plant are central to understanding dynamic stomatal responses to water status and their ecological correlates and that BSEs play several key roles in the functional ecology of heterobaric leaves.