Prediction of photosynthetic light‐response curves using traits of the leaf economics spectrum for 75 woody species: effects of leaf habit and sun–shade dichotomy

Abstract

Premise Photosynthetic light‐response (PLR) curves for leaves are important components of models related to carbon fixation in forest ecosystems, linking the Mitscherlich equation and Michaelis–Menten equation to traits of the leaf economics spectrum (LES). However, models do not consider changes in leaf habits (i.e., evergreen and deciduous) and within‐canopy shading variation in these PLR curves. Methods Here, we measured the PLR curves in sun and shade leaves of 44 evergreen and 31 deciduous species to examine the relationships between variables of the Mitscherlich equation and Michaelis–Menten equation, leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content, and leaf mass per area (LMA). Results Small changes were caused by different leaf habits and shade variations in relationships linking variables of the two equations to leaf N and P content and LMA. Values of the scaling exponents for PLR curve parameters did not differ regardless of canopy position and leaf habit (P > 0.05). The PLR curves in species with different leaf habits (i.e., evergreen and deciduous) at different canopy positions could be predicted using the general allometric relations between leaf traits and PLR parameters in the two equations. For photosynthetic photon flux densities from 0 to 2000 μmol m‐2 s‐1, approximately 71% (Mitscherlich equation) and 70% (Michaelis–Menten equation) of the net assimilation rates could be predicted. Conclusions These findings indicate that leaf net assimilation rates can be predicted through the large available data for LES traits. Incorporation of values for these traits available in the LES databases into ecosystem models of forest productivity and carbon fixation warrants further investigation.

A whole‐plant economics spectrum including bark functional traits for 59 subtropical woody plant species

“…As indicators of plant strategies (Violle et al, 2007;Westoby et al, 2002;Zhao, Ali, et al, 2016), functional traits affect (or at the very least reveal) life history and plant distribution characteristics (Díaz et al, 2004;Engelbrecht et al, 2007) involving trade-offs affecting plant growth and survival. For example, the leaf economics spectrum (LES) combines a series of interrelated leaf functional traits to quantitatively obtain pervasive plant resource trade-offs (Chen et al, 2021;Pan et al, 2020;Wright et al, 2004) that can predict the dynamics of community composition and the feedback of ecosystem functions (Chen et al, 2020;Reich et al, 1998;Wright et al, 2005). The LES has been extended to include the characteristics of wood (Chave et al, 2009) and later those of plant organs other than leaves (Kong et al, 2015;Roumet et al, 2016).…”

Variation and association of leaf traits for desert plants in the arid area, northwest China

“…They also reveal the coping strategy formed by plants in changing environment, which further controls species coexistence (Westoby et al, 2002). The leaf economic spectrum (LES) combines interrelated leaf functional traits to capture plant resource trade‐off strategies globally (Chen et al, 2021; Wright et al, 2004). Fast‐growing acquisition strategy species are at one end of the spectrum, while slow‐growing conservative strategy species are at the other (Reich, 2014; Wright et al, 2004).…”