Devising a 'silver bullet' for measuring water use by plants
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - 07:20
in Earth & Climate
(Phys.org) -- Most gardeners can tell by rule of thumb how much water their tomatoes and carrots need, but taking an accurate reading of plants' actual water use is a very difficult problem. Although the measurement is critical for understanding how ecosystems are affected by drought, development or climate change, there is no easy way for scientists to verify estimates of water use. Right now, scientists have to use expensive, bulky laboratory equipment to analyze samples that allow them to directly track how much water plants are using. But if Ida Posner's senior thesis project works the way she hopes, that could all change.