Summary Both photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (g s) respond to changing irradiance, yet stomatal responses are an order of magnitude slower than photosynthesis, resulting in noncoordination between A and g s in dynamic light environments.Infrared gas exchange analysis was used to examine the temporal responses and coordination of A and g s to a step increase and decrease in light in a range of different species, and the impact on intrinsic water use efficiency was evaluated.The temporal responses revealed a large range of strategies to save water or maximize photosynthesis in the different species used in this study but also displayed an uncoupling of A and g s in most of the species. The shape of the guard cells influenced the rapidity of response and the overall g s values achieved, with different impacts on A and W i. The rapidity of g s in dumbbell‐shaped guard cells could be attributed to size, whilst in elliptical‐shaped guard cells features other than anatomy were more important for kinetics.Our findings suggest significant variation in the rapidity of stomatal responses amongst species, providing a novel target for improving photosynthesis and water use.

The effects of elevated [CO2] on 25 variables describing soybean physiology, growth and yield are reviewed using meta‐analytic techniques. This is the first meta‐analysis to our knowledge performed on a single crop species and summarizes the effects of 111 studies. These primary studies include numerous soybean growth forms, various stress and experimental treatments, and a range of elevated [CO2] levels (from 450 to 1250 p.p.m.), with a mean of 689 p.p.m. across all studies. Stimulation of soybean leaf CO2 assimilation rate with growth at elevated [CO2] was 39%, despite a 40% decrease in stomatal conductance and a 11% decrease in Rubisco activity. Increased leaf CO2 uptake combined with an 18% stimulation in leaf area to provide a 59% increase in canopy photosynthetic rate. The increase in total dry weight was lower at 37%, and seed yield still lower at 24%. This shows that even in an agronomic species selected for maximum investment in seed, several plant level feedbacks prevent additional investment in reproduction, such that yield fails to reflect fully the increase in whole plant carbon uptake. Large soil containers (> 9 L) have been considered adequate for assessing plant responses to elevated [CO2]. However, in open‐top chamber experiments, soybeans grown in large pots showed a significant threefold smaller stimulation in yield than soybeans grown in the ground. This suggests that conclusions about plant yield based on pot studies, even when using very large containers, are a poor reflection of performance in the absence of any physical restriction on root growth. This review supports a number of current paradigms of plant responses to elevated [CO2]. Namely, stimulation of photosynthesis is greater in plants that fix N and have additional carbohydrate sinks in nodules. This supports the notion that photosynthetic capacity decreases when plants are N‐limited, but not when plants have adequate N and sink strength. The root : shoot ratio did not change with growth at elevated [CO2], sustaining the charge that biomass allocation is unaffected by growth at elevated [CO2] when plant size and ontogeny are considered.

Occurrences whereby cnidaria lose their symbiotic dinoflagellate microalgae (Symbiodinium spp.) are increasing in frequency and intensity. These so-called bleaching events are most often related to an increase in water temperature, which is thought to limit certain Symbiodinium phylotypes from effectively dissipating absorbed excitation energy that is otherwise used for photochemistry. Here, we examined photosynthetic characteristics and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) production, a possible signal involved in bleaching, from two Symbiodinium types (a thermally "tolerant" A1 and "sensitive" B1) representative of cnidaria-Symbiodinium symbioses of reef-building Caribbean corals. Under steady-state growth at 26°C, a higher efficiency of PSII photochemistry, rate of electron turnover, and rate of O2 production were observed for type A1 than for B1. The two types responded very differently to a period of elevated temperature (32°C): type A1 increased light-driven O2 consumption but not the amount of H2 O2 produced; in contrast, type B1 increased the amount of H2 O2 produced without an increase in light-driven O2 consumption. Therefore, our results are consistent with previous suggestions that the thermal tolerance of Symbiodinium is related to adaptive constraints associated with photosynthesis and that sensitive phylotypes are more prone to H2 O2 production. Understanding these adaptive differences in the genus Symbiodinium will be crucial if we are to interpret the response of symbiotic associations, including reef-building corals, to environmental change.

); PPFD ¢ , daily integral of PPFD; Rubisco, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase; T leaf , leaf temperature ( ∞ C); TNC, total non-structural carbohydrate (mmol m -2 ); VPD, vapour pressure deficit (kPa).

We investigated the effect of elevated partial pressure of CO 2 (pCO 2 ) on the photosynthesis and growth of four phylotypes (ITS2 types A1, A13, A2, and B1) from the genus Symbiodinium, a diverse dinoflagellate group that is important, both free-living and in symbiosis, for the viability of cnidarians and is thus a potentially important model dinoflagellate group. The response of Symbiodinium to an elevated pCO 2 was phylotype-specific. Phylotypes A1 and B1 were largely unaffected by a doubling in pCO 2 ; in contrast, the growth rate of A13 and the photosynthetic capacity of A2 both increased by , 60%. In no case was there an effect of ocean acidification (OA) upon respiration (dark-or light-dependent) for any of the phylotypes examined. Our observations suggest that OA might preferentially select among free-living populations of Symbiodinium, with implications for future symbioses that rely on algal acquisition from the environment (i.e., horizontal transmission). Furthermore, the carbon environment within the host could differentially affect the physiology of different Symbiodinium phylotypes. The range of responses we observed also highlights that the choice of species is an important consideration in OA research and that further investigation across phylogenetic diversity, for both the direction of effect and the underlying mechanism(s) involved, is warranted.

Photosynthesis is commonly stimulated in grasslands with experimental increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]), a physiological response that could significantly alter the future carbon cycle if it persists in the long term. Yet an acclimation of photosynthetic capacity suggested by theoretical models and short‐term experiments could completely remove this effect of CO2. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv. Bastion) was grown under an elevated [CO2] of 600 µmol mol−1 for 10 years using Free Air CO2Enrichment (FACE), with two contrasting nitrogen levels and abrupt changes in the source : sink ratio following periodic harvests. More than 3000 measurements characterized the response of leaf photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to elevated [CO2] across each growing season for the duration of the experiment. Over the 10 years as a whole, growth at elevated [CO2] resulted in a 43% higher rate of light‐saturated leaf photosynthesis and a 36% increase in daily integral of leaf CO2 uptake. Photosynthetic stimulation was maintained despite a 30% decrease in stomatal conductance and significant decreases in both the apparent, maximum carboxylation velocity (Vc,max) and the maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax). Immediately prior to the periodic (every 4–8 weeks) cuts of the L. perenne stands, Vc,max and Jmax, were significantly lower in elevated than in ambient [CO2] in the low‐nitrogen treatment. This difference was smaller after the cut, suggesting a dependence upon the balance between the sources and sinks for carbon. In contrast with theoretical expectations and the results of shorter duration experiments, the present results provide no significant change in photosynthetic stimulation across a 10‐year period, nor greater acclimation in Vc,max and Jmax in the later years in either nitrogen treatment.

Summary• Using the Poplar Free Air CO 2 Enrichement (PopFACE) facility we investigated the effects of elevated [CO 2 ] on the diurnal and growth cycle responses of photosynthesis and conductance in three poplar species.• In situ diurnal measurements of photosynthesis were made on Populus alba , P. nigra and P. × euramericana and, in parallel, in vivo maximum capacity for carboxylation ( V c , max ) and maximum rates of electron transport ( J max ) were determined by gas exchange measurement.• Light saturated ( A sat ) and daily integrated ( A ′ ) photosynthesis increased at elevated [CO 2 ] in all species. Elevated [CO 2 ] decreased V c , max and J max for P. nigra and J max for P. × euramericana but had no effect on stomatal conductance in any of the species throughout the first growth cycle. During post-coppice re-growth, elevated [CO 2 ] did not increase A sat in P. nigra and P. × euramericana due to large decreases in V c , max and J max .• A 50% increase in [CO 2 ] under these open-air field conditions resulted in a large and sustained increase in A sat . Although there were some differences between the species, these had little effect on photosynthetic rates at the growth

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