Meeting Abstract
Physical laws influence the ability of organisms to exchange energy and mass with their external environments, which in the case of plants is influenced by the size and spatiotemporal display of surface area. In turn, energy–mass exchange rates affect the consumption of resources and thus plant growth and competitiveness. Representative physical laws and processes are reviewed, and empirical data and computer models are used to elaborate on how energy–mass exchange rates, growth, and competitiveness are interconnected. This review shows that biophysical constraints on energy–mass exchange rates significantly influence plant growth and plant–plant competition, while simultaneously also providing opportunities for adaptation and species coexistence.
