Dr Peter Franks
Senior Lecturer
|
BSc (Hons) PhD (ANU) |
Research Interests
Plant physiology; evolutionary physiology; stomatal function and forest tree physiology
Recent and Current Projects Include
Stomatal function and plant photosynthesis
The mechanistic basis of stomatal regulation of photosynthesis and plant productivity through the integration of studies of stomatal mechanics, leaf hydraulics and cellular physiology of guard cells.
Evolutionary physiology of woody plants
Physiology of gas exchange and water transport in of basal angiosperms, evolution of gas exchange regulation, evolution of seed desiccation tolerance.
Leaf development and determination of photosynthetic operating point
Causes, consequences and control of developmental plasticity in leaves.
Plant adaptation to dry environments
Plant responses to desiccation; mechanism of stomatal response to humidity and drought; the role of the plant stress hormone abscisic acid in short and long-term desiccation responses
Tree physiology and forest canopy gas exchange
The relationships between forest productivity, tree hydraulic structure, soil nutrition and photosynthetic performance in forest trees and vines
Fundamentals of Biology
Selected Publications
Franks PJ & Farquhar GD (2007) The mechanical diversity of stomata and its significance in gas exchange control. Plant Physiology (Special Issue on Transpiration), (in press).
Stork NE, Balston J, Farquhar GD, Franks PJ, Holtum JAM and Liddell MJ (2007) Tropical rainforest canopies and climate change: A commentary. Austral Ecology (in press)
Franks PJ, Drake PL and Froend RH (2006) Anisohydric but isohydrodynamic: Seasonally constant plant water potential gradient explained by a stomatal control mechanism incorporating variable plant hydraulic conductance. Plant, Cell and Environment 30, 19-30
Franks PJ (2006) Higher rates of leaf gas exchange are associated with higher leaf hydrodynamic pressure gradients.. Plant, Cell & Environment 29, 584-592.
Franks P J and Brodribb T (2005) Stomatal control and water flow in the xylem. In NM Holbrook, M Zwieniecki (eds) 'Vascular transport in plants', Academic Press, pp 69-90.
Franks P J (2004) Stomatal control and hydraulic conductance, with special reference to tall trees. Tree Physiology 24, 865-878.
Field, TS, Franks P J & Sage TL (2003) Ecophysiological shade adaptation in the basal angiosperm, Austrobaileya scandens (Austrobaileyaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 164, 313-324.
Drake P and Franks P J (2003) Water resource partitioning, stem xylem hydraulic properties and water use strategies in a seasonally dry riparian tropical rainforest. Oecologia 137, 321-329.
Franks P J & Drake P L (2003) Desiccation-induced loss of seed viability is associated with a 10-fold increase in CO2 evolution rate in seeds of the primitive rainforest angiosperm tree, Idiospermum australiense. New Phytologist 159, 253-261
Franks P J (2003) Use of the pressure probe in studies of stomatal function. Journal of Experimental Botany 54, 1-10 (Invited review)
Franks P J, Buckley T N and Shope J & Mott K A (2001) Guard cell volume and pressure measured concurrently by confocal microscopy and the pressure probe. Plant Physiology 125, 1577-1584
Franks P J & Farquhar G D (2001) Effects of exogenous abscisic acid on stomatal development, stomatal mechanics and leaf gas exchange in Tradescantia virginiana. Plant Physiology 125, 935-942
Mott K A & Franks P J (2001) The role of epidermal turgor in stomatal interactions following a local perturbation in humidity. Plant, Cell & Environment 24, 657-662
Franks P J & Farquhar, G.D. (1999) A relationship between humidity response, growth form and photosynthetic operating point in C3 plants. Plant, Cell & Environment 22, 1337-1349
Franks P J, Cowan, I.R. & Farquhar, G.D. (1998) A study of stomatal mechanics using the pressure probe. Plant, Cell and Environment. 21, 94-100
Franks P J, Cowan, I.R. & Farquhar, G.D. (1997) The apparent feedforward response of stomata to air vapour pressure deficit: Information revealed by different experimental techniques with two rainforest trees. Plant, Cell and Environment 20, 142-145
Franks P J, Cowan, I.R., Tyerman, S.D., Cleary, A.L., Lloyd, J & Farquhar, G.D. (1995) Guard cell pressure/aperture characteristics measured with the pressure probe. Plant, Cell and Environment 18, 795-800
Franks PJ, Gibson, A. & Bachelard, E.P. (1995) Xylem permeability and embolism susceptibility in seedlings of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. from two different climatic zones. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 22, 15-21
Contact Details
Dr Peter J. Franks
Campus: Cairns
Telephone: +61 7 4042 1237
Fax: +61 7 4042 1284
Email: Peter.Franks@jcu.edu.au
Note: Please direct all student enquiries through the School Secretary.
