Abiotic Stress Research Glossary
564 terms total — 4 showing — Last updated 27 Oct 2026
Metabolic quiescence
A dormant state in which organisms drastically reduce metabolic activity and energy consumption to survive prolonged abiotic stress. This reversible condition allows survival during unfavorable environmental periods with minimal resource depletion.
Leaf water potential
The measure of water's free energy in leaf tissues, expressed in megapascals (MPa), determined by osmotic and matric pot...
Soil water potential
The thermodynamic potential of water in soil that drives water movement and plant water availability, determined by matr...
Soil water potential depletion
The progressive decline in soil water potential resulting from plant root water extraction, creating increasingly negati...
Soil water potential gradient
The spatial change in water potential between soil layers and from soil to plant roots, driving water movement through t...