When a canopy of leaves is sunlit, photosynthesis proceeds at a rate which depends on how photons are distributed over individual elements of the foliage and on the relationship between photosynthetic rate and irradiance for each foliage element. In principle, therefore, photosynthesis by a canopy, expressed per unit of ground area rather than per unit leaf area, can be estimated from a statistical description of irradiance as a function of leaf disposition. In many models of productivity, this is a central and complex component. In practice, however, modelling can often be greatly simplified with little sacrifice of precision by exploiting the observation that, at least during vegetative growth, uniform stands produce dry matter at a rate which is almost proportional to the amount of radiant energy intercepted by the canopy. In this chapter we consider the theoretical basis of this relationship, its experimental verification, and its usefulness for exploring the dependence of growth on environmental variables in general.
Abstract Some plant growth models require estimates of leaf area and absorbed radiation for simulating evapotranspiration and photosynthesis. Previous studies indicated that spe...
Abstract Theories describing radiative transfer in plant canopies are very well developed for canopies approximating full cover. However, for canopies of partial cover such as o...
Abstract Leaf structure and function are shown to result in distinctive variations in the absorption and reflection of solar radiation from plant canopies. The leaf properties t...
Variation in leaf life—span has long been considered of ecological significance.Despite this, quantitative evaluation of the relationships between leaf life—span and other plant...
We studied limitations caused by variations in leaf temperature and soil water availability on photosynthetic electron transport rates calculated from foliar chlorophyll fluores...
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