Abstract:The functional regulation of nature-based forest ecosystems is imperative in mitigating the impacts of economic development and human activities on global climate change. Stomata play a critical role in the exchange of matter and energy at the vegetation-atmosphere interface. Plants with different stomatal regulation behaviors exhibit different responses in carbon and water fluxes to environmental factors. Therefore, by examining changes in carbon and water fluxes of plants with different stomatal regulation behaviors in response to environmental changes, we can better understand the structural and functional dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems under future climate change scenarios. This paper summarizes four classification methods for stomatal regulation behavior (isohydric and anisohydric types), namely, three methods based on the relationship between plant water status and soil water potential (maximum daily range of leaf water potential; relationship between predawn and midday leaf water potential; and the range of leaf water potential that plants can regulate, i.e., “hydroscape area”) and one classification method based on the relationship between stomatal conductance and vapor pressure deficit. Subsequently, this paper analyzes the effects of key environmental factors, including temperature, water availability, and carbon dioxide concentration, on the water use efficiency, water relations, and carbon economy traits of plants with different stomatal regulation behaviors. Ultimately, this paper is expected to provide theoretical support for forecasting the structural and functional changes of terrestrial ecosystems in the context of global climate change in terms of carbon and water processes.
