Project properties
Title The wonderful architecture of leaf veins and their role for plant hydraulics
Group Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group
Project type thesis
Credits 24-39
Supervisor(s) FEM group: Lourens Poorter & Frank Sterck
Examiner(s) Prof. Dr. Ir. G.M.J. (Frits) Mohren or Prof.Dr. F.J.J.M (Frans) Bongers
Contact info lourens.poorter@wur.nl
http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Persons/dr.ir.-L-Lourens-Poorter-1.htm
Begin date 2018/01/01
End date
Description Leaf veins provide not only structure to the leaves, but they are also the irrigation channels through which all water transport occurs. Plant species show an amazing variety in leaf vein architecture, which is not only esthetically beautiful but also ecologically highly relevant. Recent research has shown that leaf vein density and vein architecture are closely linked to the growth, shade tolerance, and drought tolerance of plants, but much more remains to be discovered. In another thesis research project leaves of 29 broadleaved tree species have been collected in the Netherlands, and stored in alcohol. In this thesis you can scan those leaves, digitize them in the lab, and calculate a relevant suite of leaf vein parameters. You can link them to other leaf and stem traits that have been measured for these species, to identify suites of traits that come together, and link it to plant strategies, by correlating it to available data on shade and drought tolerance
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Climate change effects /Biodiversity and functional diversity/ Ecophysiology / The Netherlands/ Temperate zone

Used skills SPSS or other statistical packages
Requirements FEM-30306 Forest Ecology and Forest Management; REG-31806 Ecological Methods I;