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Analysing the responses of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation to long-term elevation of atmospheric CO2 concentration

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CO2 and biosphere

Part of the book series: Advances in vegetation science ((AIVS,volume 14))

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Abstract

Understanding how photosynthetic capacity acclimatises when plants are grown in an atmosphere of rising CO2 concentrations will be vital to the development of mechanistic models of the response of plant productivity to global environmental change. A limitation to the study of acclimatisation is the small amount of material that may be destructively harvested from long-term studies of the effects of eleva tion of CO2 concentration. Technological developments in the measurement of gas exchange, fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy, coupled with theoretical developments in the interpretation of measured values now allow detailed analyses of limitations to photosynthesis in vivo. The use of leaf chambers with Ulbricht integrating spheres allows separation of change in the maximum efficiency of energy transduction in the assimilation of CO2 from changes in tissue absorptance. Analysis of the response of CO2 assimilation to intercellular CO2 concentration allows quantitative determination of the limitation imposed by stomata, carboxylation efficiency, and the rate of regeneration of ribulose 1:5 bisphosphate. Chlorophyll fluorescence provides a rapid method for detecting photoinhibition in heterogeneously illuminated leaves within canopies in the field. Modulated fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy allow parallel measurements of the efficiency of light utilisation in electron transport through photo systems I and II in situ.

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Abbreviations

A,:

net rate of CO2 uptake per unit leaf area (μmol m−2 S−1)

Asat :

light-saturated A

ΔA,:

change in absorptance of PSI on removal of illumination (OD)820

c,:

CO2 concentration in air (μmol m−2 S−1)

ca,:

c in the bulk air

ci,:

c in the intercellular spaces

ce,:

carboxylation efficiency (mol m−2 S−1)

E,:

transpiration per unit leaf area (mol m−2 S−1)

F,:

fluorescence emission of PSII (relative units)

Fm,:

maximal level of F

Fo,:

minimal level of F upon illumination when PSII is maximally oxidised

Fs :

the steady-state F following the m peak

Fv,:

the difference between Fm and Fo

F′m,:

maximal F′ generated after the m peak by addition of a saturating light pulse

F′o :

the minimal level of F after the m peak determined by re-oxidising PSII by far-red light

g1 leaf conductance to CO2,:

diffusion in the gas phase (mol m−2 S−1)

kc and ko,:

the Michaelis constants for CO2 and O2, respectively, (μmol m−1)

Jmax,:

the maximum rate of regeneration of rubP (μmol m−2 S−1)

1,:

stomatal limitation to CO2, uptake (dimensionless, 0−1)

LCP,:

light compensation point of photosynthesis (μmol m−2 S−1)

oi,:

the intercellular O2, concentration(mol−1)

Pi,:

cytosol inorganic phosphate concentration

PSI,:

photosystem I

PS11,:

photosystem II

Q,:

photon flux (μmol m−2 S−1)

Qabs,:

Q absorbed by the leaf

rubisCO,:

ribulose 1:5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

rubP,:

ribulose 1:5 bisphosphate

s,:

projected surface area of a leaf (m2)

V:

V,max is the maximum rate of carboxylation (μmol m−2 S−1)

Wc,:

the rubisCO limited rate of carboxylation (μmol m−2 S−1)

Wj,:

the electron transport limited rate of regeneration of rubP (μmol m−2 S−1)

Wp :

the inorganic phosphate limited rate of regeneration of rube (μmol m−2 S−1)

α,:

absorptance of light (dimensionless, 0−1)

αa,:

α of standard black absorber α1 α of leaf

αs,:

α of integrating sphere walls

г,:

CO2, compensation point of photosynthesis (μmol m−1)

Ï„:

the specificity factor for rubisC0 carboxylation (dimensionless)

0,:

convexity of the response of A to Q (dimensionless, 0−1)

φ,:

the quantum yield of photosynthesis on an absorbed light basis(δA/δQabs; dimensionless)

φapp,:

the quantum yield of photosynthesis on an incident light basis (δA/δQabs; dimensionless)

φm,:

the maximum φ; φm,app, the maximum φapp

φPSII,:

the photochemical efficiency of PSII (dimensionless, 0−1)

φPSII,m,:

the maximum φPSII

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Biology, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK

    S. P. Long, N. R. Baker & C. A. Raines

  2. Dept. of Applied Science, Brookhaven Natl. Lab., Upton, NY, 11973, USA

    S. P. Long, N. R. Baker & C. A. Raines

Authors
  1. S. P. Long
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  2. N. R. Baker
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  3. C. A. Raines
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Editor information

J. Rozema H. Lambers S. C. Van de Geijn M. L. Cambridge

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Long, S.P., Baker, N.R., Raines, C.A. (1993). Analysing the responses of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation to long-term elevation of atmospheric CO2 concentration. In: Rozema, J., Lambers, H., Van de Geijn, S.C., Cambridge, M.L. (eds) CO2 and biosphere. Advances in vegetation science, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1797-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1797-5_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4791-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1797-5

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