Abstract. Terrestrial biosphere models typically use the
biochemical model of Farquhar, von Caemmerer, and Berry (1980) to simulate
photosynthesis, which requires accurate values of photosynthetic capacity of
different biomes. However, data on tropical forests are sparse and highly
variable due to the high species diversity, and it is still highly uncertain
how these tropical forests respond to nutrient limitation in terms of C
uptake. Tropical forests often grow on soils low in phosphorus (P) and are, in
general, assumed to be P rather than nitrogen (N) limited. However, the
relevance of P as a control of photosynthetic capacity is still debated.
Here, we provide a comprehensive dataset of vertical profiles of
photosynthetic capacity and important leaf traits, including leaf N and P
concentrations, from two 3-year, large-scale nutrient addition
experiments conducted in two tropical rainforests in French Guiana. These
data present a unique source of information to further improve model
representations of the roles of N, P, and other leaf nutrients in
photosynthesis in tropical forests. To further facilitate the use of our
data in syntheses and model studies, we provide an elaborate list of
ancillary data, including important soil properties and nutrients, along
with the leaf data. As environmental drivers are key to improve our
understanding of carbon (C) and nutrient cycle interactions, this comprehensive
dataset will aid to further enhance our understanding of how nutrient
availability interacts with C uptake in tropical forests. The data are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5638236 (Verryckt, 2021).