The relationship of leaf photosynthetic traits - Vcmax and Jmax - to leaf nitrogen, leaf phosphorus, and specific leaf area: A meta-analysis and modeling study

Anthony P. Walker, Andrew P. Beckerman, Lianhong Gu, Jens Kattge, Lucas A. Cernusak, Tomas F. Domingues, Joanna C. Scales, Georg Wohlfahrt, Stan D. Wullschleger, F. Ian Woodward

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

352 Scopus citations

Abstract

Great uncertainty exists in the global exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere. An important source of this uncertainty lies in the dependency of photosynthesis on the maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax) and the maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax). Understanding and making accurate prediction of C fluxes thus requires accurate characterization of these rates and their relationship with plant nutrient status over large geographic scales. Plant nutrient status is indicated by the traits: leaf nitrogen (N), leaf phosphorus (P), and specific leaf area (SLA). Correlations between Vcmax and Jmax and leaf nitrogen (N) are typically derived from local to global scales, while correlations with leaf phosphorus (P) and specific leaf area (SLA) have typically been derived at a local scale. Thus, there is no global-scale relationship between Vcmax and Jmax and P or SLA limiting the ability of global-scale carbon flux models do not account for P or SLA. We gathered published data from 24 studies to reveal global relationships of Vcmax and Jmax with leaf N, P, and SLA. Vcmax was strongly related to leaf N, and increasing leaf P substantially increased the sensitivity of Vcmax to leaf N. Jmax was strongly related to Vcmax, and neither leaf N, P, or SLA had a substantial impact on the relationship. Although more data are needed to expand the applicability of the relationship, we show leaf P is a globally important determinant of photosynthetic rates. In a model of photosynthesis, we showed that at high leaf N (3 gm-2), increasing leaf P from 0.05 to 0.22 gm-2 nearly doubled assimilation rates. Finally, we show that plants may employ a conservative strategy of Jmax to Vcmax coordination that restricts photoinhibition when carboxylation is limiting at the expense of maximizing photosynthetic rates when light is limiting.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3218-3235
Number of pages18
JournalEcology and Evolution
Volume4
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2014

Funding

FundersFunder number
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilBBS/E/C/00005202

    Keywords

    • Carbon assimilation
    • Carbon cycle
    • Carboxylation
    • DGVM
    • Electron transport
    • Farquhar model
    • Land surface model
    • Meta-analysis
    • Mixed-effect multiple regression
    • Noncarbon photosynthesis
    • TBM

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