Cade Kane

Plants lose most of their water through pores on the surface of leaves called stomata. In order for the plant to protect themselves from hydraulic failure during drought stomata can be closed with the hormone abscisic acid. My research focuses on understanding how and when this hormone is produced during drought and the evolution of stomatal responses to environmental stimuli like changes in temperature, CO2 concentrations, and light. I also investigate the environmental and hormonal drivers of leaf senescence and abscission.