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Abstract Form for Posters Send before 31st May 2011 Please respect the following: Title bold Authors (Corresponding author underlined) Corresponding author address and e-mail (Font Arial, size 10, 1.0 between lines, justify) See next page for an example Abstract (300 words maximum): Please fill in and send to [email protected] A detailed understanding of plant water relations helps translate climate predictions into predictions of vegetation response. Doe, Jane; Doe, John School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia. [email protected] Research over the last decade has deepened our understanding of the variety of processes involved in plant water acquisition and use. We have learned much about the timing, magnitude, direction and mechanisms involved in the influx and efflux of water into and out of plants. Simple ideas of water influx by plant roots have broadened to include how complex root systems interact with heterogeneous soil water sources, via processes such as hydraulic redistribution: furthermore, the influx of water into leaves and stems during fog and dew is better recognized. In the same way, simple ideas of water efflux by transpiration have broadened to include the important contribution of nighttime transpiration; efflux of water from roots into dry soil is also better recognised. It is important that such detailed understanding of plant water relations is brought to discussions of the impacts of climate change. As climate modelers predict changes to the frequency and amounts of rainfall, and the frequency and duration of drought, plant biologists must use their knowledge to translate these predictions into predictions of impacts on plant communities and biogeochemical cycles. I will discuss recent findings concerning night-time transpiration, occult precipitation, hydraulic redistribution and ecosystem responses to rain events to add important detail to our understanding of plant-climate interactions.