Impact of measurement irradiance on acclimation of photosynthesis to elevated CO2 concentration in several plant species

Abstract

Controlled environment chamber and glasshouse studies were conducted on six herbaceous annual species grown at 350 (AC) and 700 (EC) μmol(CO2) mol-1 to determine whether growth at EC resulted in acclimation of the apparent quantum yield of photosynthesis (QY) measured at limiting photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), or in acclimation of net photosynthetic rate (P(N)) measured at saturating PPFD. It was also determined whether acclimation in P(N) at limiting PPFD was correlated with acclimation of carboxylation efficiency or ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration rate measured at saturating PPFD. Growth at EC reduced both the QY and P(N) at limiting PPFD in three of the six species. The occurrence of photosynthetic acclimation measured at a rate limiting PPFD was independent of whether photosynthetic acclimation was apparent at saturating measurement PPFD. At saturating measurement PPFD, acclimation to EC in the apparent carboxylation efficiency and RuBP regeneration capacity also occurred independently. Thus at least three components of the photosynthetic system may adjust independently when leaves are grown at EC. Estimates of photosynthetic acclimation at both high and low PPFD are necessary to accurately predict photosynthesis at the whole plant or canopy level as [CO2] increases.