Acclimation of leaf respiration consistent with optimal photosynthetic capacity
File(s)
Accepted version
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Plant respiration is an important contributor to the proposed positive global carbon-cycle feedback to climate change. However, as a major component, leaf mitochondrial (‘dark’) respiration (Rd) differs among species adapted to contrasting environments and is known to acclimate to sustained changes in temperature. No accepted theory explains these phenomena or predicts its magnitude. Here we propose that the acclimation of Rd follows an optimal behaviour related to the need to maintain long-term average photosynthetic capacity (Vcmax) so that available environmental resources can be most efficiently used for photosynthesis. To test this hypothesis, we extend photosynthetic co-ordination theory to predict the acclimation of Rd to growth temperaturevia a link to Vcmax, and compare predictions to a global set of measurements from 112 sites spanning all terrestrial biomes. This extended co-ordination theory predicts that field-measured Rd should increase by 3.7% and Vcmax by 5.5% per degree increase in growth temperature. These acclimated responses to 50growth temperature are less steep than the corresponding instantaneous responses, which increase 8.1% and 9.9% per degree of measurement temperature for Rd and Vcmax, respectively. Data-fitted regression slopes proof indistinguishable from the values predicted by our theory, and smaller than the instantaneous slopes. Theory and data are also shown to agree that the basal rates ofboth Rd and Vcmax assessed at 25 ̊C decline by ~ 4.4% per degree increase in growth temperature. These results provide a parsimonious general theory for Rd acclimation to temperature that is simpler – and potentially more reliable – than the plant functional type-based leaf respiration schemes currently employed in most ecosystem and land-surface models.
Date Issued
2020-04
Date Acceptance
2019-12-03
Citation
Global Change Biology, 2020, 26 (4), pp.2573-2583
ISSN
1354-1013
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
2573
End Page
2583
Journal / Book Title
Global Change Biology
Volume
26
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the accepted version of the following article: Wang, H, Atkin, OK, Keenan, TF, et al. Acclimation of leaf respiration consistent with optimal photosynthetic capacity. Glob Change Biol. 2020; 26: 2573– 2583, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14980
Sponsor
AXA Research Fund
Commission of the European Communities
Identifier
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.14980
Grant Number
AXA Chair Programme in Biosphere and Climate Impacts
787203
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Biodiversity Conservation
Ecology
Environmental Sciences
Biodiversity & Conservation
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
acclimation
carbon cycle
carboxylation capacity (V-cmax)
climate change
co-ordination
land-surface model
leaf mass per area
leaf nitrogen
nitrogen cycle
optimality
photosynthesis
THERMAL-ACCLIMATION
PLANT RESPIRATION
TEMPERATURE RESPONSES
ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES
NITROGEN LIMITATION
BIOCHEMICAL-MODEL
CLIMATE
VARIABILITY
TRAITS
LIGHT
acclimation
carbon cycle
carboxylation capacity (Vcmax)
climate change
co-ordination
land-surface model
leaf mass per area
leaf nitrogen
nitrogen cycle
optimality
photosynthesis
Ecology
05 Environmental Sciences
06 Biological Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-02-24