Higher plant photosynthetic capability in autumn responding to low atmospheric vapor pressure deficit.

ABSTRACT: It has been long established that the terrestrial vegetation in spring has stronger photosynthetic capability than in autumn. However, this study challenges this consensus by comparing photosynthetic capability of terrestrial vegetation between the spring and autumn seasons based on measurements of 100 in situ eddy covariance towers over global extratropical ecosystems. At the majority of these sites, photosynthetic capability, indicated by light use efficiency (LUE) and apparent quantum efficiency, is significantly higher in autumn than in spring, due to lower atmosphere vapor pressure deficit (VPD) at the same air temperature. Seasonal VPD differences also substantially explain the interannual variability of the differences in photosynthetic capability between spring and autumn. W

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8640599 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature