Good vibrations. Some analytical advances on leaf vibration analysis
Résumé
A significant part of the mechanical stimulation from the environment involves vibrations
in plant tissues such as leaves. However, little is known about the mechanoperception of these
vibrations because of experimental difficulties in quantifying tissue motions. Here we report ex-
perimental and analytical advances developed to explore plant leaf vibrations from Hz to kHz. We
developed a finite element model describing leaf vibrations of Arabidopsis thaliana. The model
has been validated by 3D laser measurement. Since 3D laser measurement systems are not eas-
ily accessible, we also developed an alternative advanced image analysis method exploiting high
speed cameras allowing the spatio-temporal quantification of vibrations. These experimental and
conceptual tools are valuable aids to find morphological parameters favoring mechanoperception
at specific frequencies and allow us to investigate spatially molecular mechanisms involved in
mechanoperception of vibrations at sub leaf scale.