Tolerance of temperature extremes under drought: linking physiological processes with morphological constraints on leaf function

严寒影响了澳大利亚70%以上的地区。每年的霜冻都会对农业和林业造成重大损害。我们将研究水力管道直径的减小如何提高本地木本植物的耐寒性，并量化这种耐寒性对叶片生产力的影响。研究结果对当前和未来气候情景下的温带木本植被管理具有一定的应用价值。通过更好地了解树叶中水分在冻结过程中的行为，我们将有助于改进冻结过程中生物组织中的物理应力和应变模型，这些模型发现在生物材料的冷冻储存中的应用在农业、医学和保护方面具有重要意义。

Freezing temperatures affect over 70% of Australia. Each year frosts cause substantial damage to agriculture and forestry. We will examine how decrease in hydraulic conduit diameter increases freeze tolerance in native woody species and quantify impacts of this tolerance on productivity of leaves. The results have application in managing temperate woody vegetation under current and future climate scenarios. By improving understanding of the behaviour of water in leaves during freezing, we will contribute to improved models of physical stresses and strains in biological tissues during freezing, which find application in cryo-storage of biological materials important in agriculture, medicine, and conservation.