Temperature and energy budgets

Abstract

Temperature is of fundamental importance in affecting rates of metabolic activity in plant tissues. In this chapter, we will focus on methods for temperature measurement under field conditions and on the energy budget equation, which basically describes the influences of abiotic/biotic factors in affecting a deviation in plant tissue temperature from the surrounding ambient air temperature. As such the primary emphases of this chapter will be to describe (1) the principles behind the energy budget approach, (2) the leaf parameters which will influence leaf energy balance and thus need to be measured, (3) how leaf, air and soil temperatures are most commonly measured and (4) the precautions necessary to minimize errors in leaf, air and soil temperature measurements.