Abstract
The dynamics of the canopy light environment for two poplar species (Populus tremuloides Michx., and P. fremontii Wats.) were characterized with an array of photocells in fixed positions within the canopy or attached directly to leaves and using a data logger that recorded photon flux density (PFD) at frequencies from 1 to 20 Hz. The majority of sunflecks were short in duration (<1 s) with a similar short interval between sunflecks. Sunflecks contribute as much as 90% of the total daily PFD in the lower canopy. Leaf flutter may cause high frequency (3 to 5 Hz) variations of PFD in poplar canopies. The amount of light intercepted by a fluttering leaf at the top of the canopy decreased with increasing flutter, whereas a fluttering lower canopy leaf showed no such trend. When leaves fluttered at the top of the canopy the understory light environment showed an increased number of shorter sunflecks. Leaf flutter may increase mean PFD for understory leaves. It also creates a canopy light environment that is more dynamic temporally and more evenly distributed spatially. The potential benefits of these changes in light dynamics are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carter GC, Ferrie JF (1979) A coherence and cross spectral estimation program. In: Digital Processing Committee (eds) Programs for Digital Signal Processing. IEEE Press, NY, pp 2.3–1 to 2.3–18
Chazdon RL (1988) Sunflecks and their importance to forest understory plants. Adv Ecol Res 18: 1–63
Chazdon RL, Pearcy RW (1986) Photosynthetic response to light variation in rainforest species II. Carbon gain and photosynthetic effeciency during lightflecks. Oecologia 69: 524–531
Desjardins RL, Sinclair TR, Lemon ER (1973) Light fluctuations in corn. Agron J 65: 904–908
De Wit CT (1966) Photosynthesis of crop surfaces. Adv Sci 23: 159–162
Finnigan JJ (1985) Turbulent transport in flexible plant canopies. In: Hutchison BA, Hicks BB (eds) The Forest Atmosphere Interaction pp 443–480
Grace J (1978) The turbulent boundary layer over a flapping Populus leaf. Plant Cell Environ 1: 35–38
Gutschick VP, Barron MH, Waechter DA, Wolf MA (1985) A portable monitor for solar radiation that accumulates irradiance histograms for 32 leaf-mounted sensors. Agric For Meteorol 33: 281–290
Hongliang T, Hipps L (1991) The properties of sunflecks in a flexible plant canopy, and their relationship to turbulence. In: The proceedings of The 20th Conference on Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Salt Lake City, Utah, no. 4165
Ino Y (1970) The effect of fluctuating light on photosynthesis. In: Photosynthesis and Utilization of Solar Energy. Level III Experiments. Report for 1969 pp 68–70 JIBP/PP-Photosynthesis Level III Group. Jap Nat Subcomm for PP(JPP), Tokyo
Knapp AK, Smith WK (1987) Stomatal and photosynthetic responses during sun/shade transitions in subalpine plants: influence on water use efficiency. Oecologia 74: 62–67
Kriedmann PE, Torokfalvy E, Smart RE (1973) Natural occurrence and photosynthetic utilization of sunflecks by grapevine leaves. Photosynthetica 7: 18–27
Lakso AN, Barnes JE (1978) Apple leaf photosynthesis in alternating light. Hort Sci 13: 473–474
Loach K (1967) Shade tolerance in tree seedlings I. Leaf photosynthesis and respiration in plants raised under artificial shade. New Phytol 66: 607–621
Myneni RB, Impens I (1985) A procedural approach for studying the radiation regime of infinite and truncated foliage spaces Part II. Experimental results and discussion. Agric For Meteorol 34: 3–16
Niklas KJ (1991) The elastic moduli and mechanics of Populus tremuloides (Salicaceae) petioles in bending and torsion. Am J Bot 78: 989–996
Norman JM, Tanner CB (1969) Transient light measurements in plant canopies. Agron J 61: 847–849
Parlange JY, Waggoner PF, Heichel GH (1971) Boundary layer resistance and temperature distribution on still and flapping leaves. Plant Physiol 48: 437–442
Pearcy RW (1987) Photosynthetic gas exchange responses of Australian tropical forest trees in canopy, gap and understory microenvironments. Funct Ecol 1: 169–178
Pearcy RW (1990) Sunflecks and photosynthesis in plant canopies. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 41: 421–453
Pearcy RW, Roden JS, Gamon JA (1990) Sunfleck dynamics in relation to canopy structure in a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) canopy. Agric For Meteorol 52: 359–372
Pfitsch WA, Pearcy RW (1989a) Daily carbon gain by Adenocaulon bicolor (Asteraceae), a redwood forest understory herb, in relation to its light environment. Oecologia 80: 465–470
Pfitsch WA, Pearcy RW (1989b) Steady-state and dynamic photosynthesis response of Adenocaulon bicolor (Asteraceae) in its redwood forest habitat. Oecologia 80: 471–476
Pollard DFW (1970) The effect of rapidly changing light on the rate of photosynthesis in largetooth aspen (Populus grandidentata). Can J Bot 48: 823–829
Rabinowitch EI (1956) Photosynthesis and Related Processes. Vol 2 Part 2 New York: Interscience
Roden JS, Pearcy RW (1993) Photosynthetic gas exchange response of poplars to steady-state and dynamic light environments. Oecologia 93: 208–214
Rushin JW, Anderson JE (1981) An estimation of the leaf quaking adaptation and stomatal distribution in Populus tremuloides Michx. Plant Physiol 67: 1264–1266
Shive JB, Brown KW (1978) Quaking and gas exchange in leaves of cottonwood (Populus deltoides, Marsh.). Plant Physiol 61: 331–333
Sprugal DG (1989) The relationship of evergreeness, crown architecture and leaf size. Am Nat 133: 465–479
Tang YT, Washitani I, Tsuchiya T (1988) Fluctuations of photosynthetic photon flux density within a Miscanthus sinensis canopy. Ecol Res 3: 253–266
Weber JA, Jurik TW, Tenhunen JD, Gates DM (1985) Analysis of gas exchange in seedlings of Acer saccharum: integration of field and laboratory studies. Oecologia 65: 338–347
Zavitkovski J (1982) Characterization of light climate under canopies of intensively-cultured hybrid poplar plantations. Agric Meteorol 25: 245–255
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roden, J.S., Pearcy, R.W. Effect of leaf flutter on the light environment of poplars. Oecologia 93, 201–207 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317672
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317672