We investigated the extent to which leaf and root respiration (R) differ in their response to short‐ and long‐term changes in temperature in several contrasting plant species (herbs, grasses, shrubs and trees) that differ in inherent relative growth rate (RGR, increase in mass per unit starting mass and time). Two experiments were conducted using hydroponically grown plants. In the long‐term (LT) acclimation experiment, 16 species were grown at constant 18, 23 and 28 °C. In the short‐term (ST) acclimation experiment, 9 of those species were grown at 25/20 °C (day/night) and then shifted to a 15/10 °C for 7 days. Short‐term Q10 values (proportional change in R per 10 °C) and the degree of acclimation to longer‐term changes in temperature were compared. The effect of growth temperature on root and leaf soluble sugar and nitrogen concentrations was examined. Light‐saturated photosynthesis (Asat) was also measured in the LT acclimation experiment. Our results show that Q10 values and the degree of acclimation are highly variable amongst species and that roots exhibit lower Q10 values than leaves over the 15–25 °C measurement temperature range. Differences in RGR or concentrations of soluble sugars/nitrogen could not account for the inter‐specific differences in the Q10 or degree of acclimation. There were no systematic differences in the ability of roots and leaves to acclimate when plants developed under contrasting temperatures (LT acclimation). However, acclimation was greater in both leaves and roots that developed at the growth temperature (LT acclimation) than in pre‐existing leaves and roots shifted from one temperature to another (ST acclimation). The balance between leaf R and Asat was maintained in plants grown at different temperatures, regardless of their inherent relative growth rate. We conclude that there is tight coupling between the respiratory acclimation and the temperature under which leaves and roots developed and that acclimation plays an important role in determining the relationship between respiration and photosynthesis.

Global warming over the next century is likely to be associated with a change in the extent to which atmospheric and soil temperatures fluctuate, on both a daily and a seasonal basis. The average annual temperature of the Earth's surface is expected to increase, as is the frequency of hot days. In this review, we explore what effects short-term and long-term changes in temperature are likely to have on root respiratory metabolism, and what impacts such changes will have on daily, seasonal and annual CO # release by roots under field conditions. We demonstrate that Q "! values, and the degree of acclimation, differ between and within plant species. Changes in the temperature sensitivity of respiration with measuring temperature are highlighted. Temperature-dependent changes in adenylate control and substrate supply are likely to control the Q "! and degree of acclimation of root respiration. Limitations in respiration capacity are unlikely to control respiratory flux at most temperatures. The potential role of nonphosphorylating pathways such as the alternative oxidase in controlling Q "! values is highlighted. The possibility that potentially rapid changes in adenylate control might underlie the acclimation response (rather than slow changes in enzyme capacity) has implications for the total amount of CO # respired by roots daily and annually. Our modelling suggests that rapid acclimation will result in near-perfect homeostasis of respiration rates and minimize annual CO # release. However, annual CO # release increases substantially if the speed of full acclimation is lower. Our modelling exercise also shows that high Q "! values have the potential to increase daily and annual CO # release substantially, particularly if the frequency of hot days increases after global warming.

We examined the effect of growth temperature on the underlying components of growth in a range of inherently fast-and slow-growing plant species. Plants were grown hydroponically at constant 18, 23 and 28 °°°° C. Growth analysis was conducted on 16 contrasting plant species, with whole plant gas exchange being performed on six of the 16 species. Inter-specific variations in specific leaf area (SLA) were important in determining variations in relative growth rate (RGR) amongst the species at 23 and 28 °°°° C but were not related to variations in RGR at 18 °°°° C. When grown at 18 °°°° C, net assimilation rate (NAR) became more important than SLA for explaining variations in RGR. Variations in whole shoot photosynthesis and carbon concentration could not explain the importance of NAR in determining RGR at the lower temperatures. Rather, variations in the degree to which whole plant respiration per unit leaf area acclimated to the different growth temperatures were responsible. Plants grown at 28 °°°° C used a greater proportion of their daily fixed carbon in respiration than did the 18 and 23 °°°° C-grown plants. It is concluded that the relative importance of the underlying components of growth are influenced by growth temperature, and the degree of acclimation of respiration is of central importance to the greater role played by NAR in determining variations in RGR at declining growth temperatures.

The subject of this review is the impact of long-term changes in temperature on plant growth and its underlying components. The discussion highlights the extent to which thermal acclimation of metabolism is intrinsically linked to the plasticity of a range of biochemical and morphological traits. The fact that there is often a trade-off between temperature-mediated changes in net assimilation rates (NAR) and biomass allocation [in particular the specific leaf area (SLA)] when plants are grown at different temperatures is also highlighted. Also discussed is the role of temperature-mediated changes in photosynthesis and respiration in determining NAR values. It is shown that in comparisons that do not take phylogeny into account, fast-growing species exhibit greater temperature-dependent changes in RGR, SLA, and NAR than slow-growing plants. For RGR and NAR, such trends are maintained within phylogenetically independent contrasts (i.e. species adapted to more-favourable habitats consistently exhibit greater temperature-mediated changes than their congeneric counterparts adapted to less-favourable habitats). By contrast, SLA was not consistently more thermally plastic in species from favourable habitats. Interestingly, biomass allocation between leaves and roots was consistently more plastic in slow-growing species within individual phylogenetically independent contrasts, when plants were grown under contrasting temperatures. Finally, how interspecific variations in NAR account for an increasing proportion of variability in RGR as growth temperatures decrease is highlighted. Conversely, SLA played a more dominant role in determining interspecific variability in RGR at higher growth temperatures; thus, the importance of SLA in determining interspecific variation in RGR could potentially increase if annual mean temperatures increase in the future.