Stomatal conductance is a measure of how easily gases and water vapour move through a plant’s stomata. It reflects the degree to which stomata are open and is commonly used to quantify the exchange of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapour between a plant and the surrounding atmosphere.
High stomatal conductance generally indicates that stomata are more open, allowing greater carbon dioxide uptake for photosynthesis but also increasing transpiration. Low stomatal conductance indicates that stomata are more closed, reducing water loss while also limiting carbon dioxide entry and potentially slowing photosynthesis.
Stomatal conductance is influenced by light intensity, soil moisture, temperature, relative humidity, vapour pressure deficit (VPD), carbon dioxide concentration, and plant hormones such as abscisic acid (ABA). It is typically expressed in units of mol m⁻² s⁻¹ and is widely used in plant physiology to assess plant water status, gas exchange, and environmental stress responses.
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