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Measurement of CO2 assimilation by plants in the field and the laboratory

  • Chapter
Photosynthesis and Production in a Changing Environment

Abstract

The growth of plants and crop stands, in terms of dry weight or carbon gain, has traditionally been measured by sampling, drying, weighing and chemical analysis of the dried material (Chapters 1 and 3). Direct measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake provides a complementary approach. Whilst harvesting methods are appropriate in assessing long-term changes, they are unsuitable when interest centres either on short-term carbon gain, i.e. intervals of days, hours or minutes, or on contributions made by individual organs, e.g. the flag leaves of cereals. Measurement of CO2 uptake provides an alternative and direct method of measuring carbon exchange, with important advantages: it is instantaneous and nondestructive. Furthermore it allows: measurement of the total carbon gain by a plant or stand; separation of the uptake by the different photosynthetic organs of a plant; and separation of photosynthetic gain from respiratory losses. In studying photosynthesis in vivo, measurements of O2 evolution, and of fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy, now provide valuable methods for interpreting limitations and efficiencies. However, only measurement of CO2 uptake can provide an unambiguous and direct measure of the net rate of photosynthetic carbon assimilation.

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Authors
  1. S. P. Long
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  2. J.-E. Hällgren
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Editor information

D. O. Hall J. M. O. Scurlock H. R. Bolhàr-Nordenkampf R. C. Leegood S. P. Long

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Long, S.P., Hällgren, JE. (1993). Measurement of CO2 assimilation by plants in the field and the laboratory. In: Hall, D.O., Scurlock, J.M.O., Bolhàr-Nordenkampf, H.R., Leegood, R.C., Long, S.P. (eds) Photosynthesis and Production in a Changing Environment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1566-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1566-7_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-42910-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1566-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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