Acclimation and adaptation components of the temperature dependence of plant photosynthesis at the global scale

Authors

Dushan P. Kumarathunge, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Belinda E. Medlyn, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
John E. Drake, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Mark G. Tjoelker, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Michael J. Aspinwall, University of North FloridaFollow
Michael Battaglia, CSIRO Agriculture and Food
Francisco J. Cano, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Kelsey R. Carter, Michigan Technological University
Molly A. Cavaleri, Michigan Technological University
Lucas A. Cernusak, James Cook University
Jeffrey Q. Chambers, University of California, Berkeley
Kristine Y. Crous, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Martin G. De Kauwe, UNSW Sydney
Dylan N. Dillaway, Unity College
Erwin Dreyer, Université de Lorraine
David S. Ellsworth, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Oula Ghannoum, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Qingmin Han, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
Kouki Hikosaka, Tohoku University
Anna M. Jensen, Linnaeus University, Växjö

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2019

Abstract

The temperature response of photosynthesis is one of the key factors determining predicted responses to warming in global vegetation models (GVMs). The response may vary geographically, owing to genetic adaptation to climate, and temporally, as a result of acclimation to changes in ambient temperature. Our goal was to develop a robust quantitative global model representing acclimation and adaptation of photosynthetic temperature responses. We quantified and modelled key mechanisms responsible for photosynthetic temperature acclimation and adaptation using a global dataset of photosynthetic CO 2 response curves, including data from 141 C 3 species from tropical rainforest to Arctic tundra. We separated temperature acclimation and adaptation processes by considering seasonal and common-garden datasets, respectively. The observed global variation in the temperature optimum of photosynthesis was primarily explained by biochemical limitations to photosynthesis, rather than stomatal conductance or respiration. We found acclimation to growth temperature to be a stronger driver of this variation than adaptation to temperature at climate of origin. We developed a summary model to represent photosynthetic temperature responses and showed that it predicted the observed global variation in optimal temperatures with high accuracy. This novel algorithm should enable improved prediction of the function of global ecosystems in a warming climate.

Publication Title

New Phytologist

Volume

222

Issue

2

First Page

768

Last Page

784

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1111/nph.15668

PubMed ID

30597597

ISSN

0028646X

E-ISSN

14698137

Citation Information

Kumarathunge, D.P., Medlyn, B.E., Drake, J.E., Tjoelker, M. G., Aspinwall, M.J., Battaglia, M., Cano, F. J., Carter, K.R., Cavaleri, M.A., Cernusak, L.A., Chambers, J.Q., Crous, K.Y., De Kauwe, M.G., Dillaway, D. N., Dreyer, E., Ellsworth, D.S., Ghannoum, O., Han, Q., Hikosaka, K., Jensen., A. M. (2019) Acclimation and Adaptation Components of the Temperature Dependence of Plant Photosynthesis at the Global Scale. New Phytologist, 222(2), 768-784.