By linking leaf epidermal anatomy and development
with physiological flux, these equations allow scaling
from the differentiation and expansion of epidermal
cells and stomata to plant productivity. Given ongoing
improvement of models for the influence of the anatomy
and dynamic behavior of stomata and of internal
and external leaf tissues on gas exchange, consideration
of these important traits in terms of their development
will have potential applications across the widest range
of fields in plant biology and earth system science.