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Stomata, the small pores on the surfaces of leaves and stalks, regulate the flow of gases in and out of leaves and thus plants as a whole. They adapt to local and global changes on all timescales from minutes to millennia. Recent data from diverse fields are establishing their central importance to plant physiology, evolution and global ecology. Stomatal morphology, distribution and behaviour respond to a spectrum of signals, from intracellular signalling to global climatic change. Such concerted adaptation results from a web of control systems, reminiscent of a ‘scale-free’ network, whose untangling requires integrated approaches beyond those currently used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study addressing the structure and physiology of leaf. The result of the study shows that a climatic reconstructions using oxygen isotopes in tree-ring cellulose with require reanalysis that takes into account the effect of leaf temperature and relatively humidity on the 18 O:16O ratio. It further notes that leaf structure and physiology show rather differences globally due to variations in temperature of the environment. Looking at the result of the study, the author suggests the need for greater emphasis on understanding how the canopy responds to climate change, and to global warming.