Heikki Smolander

Measurement of fluctuating irradiance in field studies of photosynthesis

Smolander H. (1984). Measurement of fluctuating irradiance in field studies of photosynthesis. Acta Forestalia Fennica no. 187 article id 7634. https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7634

Abstract

The problems caused by the temporal and spatial microvariation in irradiance during field measurements of photosynthesis are studied. It is concluded on the basis of variation analyses based on irradiance data measured in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand that the microvariation should be measured by integrating it over the measurement time and space.

However, the curvlinearity of the light response of photosynthesis results in biased estimates when linear integration (mean irradiance) is used. The significance of the bias is examined using a simulation technique on irradiance material. Whether the actual integral of photosynthesis can be approximated with mathematical method is next studied. The method gave satisfactory results only for a low curvature response, but the latter method was applicable also to the high curvature response. However, both methods presuppose that the mean and variance are known. Measurement of the variance is based on integration of the second power.

A new method, where the nonlinearity problem is avoided, is presented to measure fluctuation of the irradiance. The method enables the shoot geometry to be taken into account and it is also applicable to transpiration studies.

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

Keywords
Pinus sylvestris; photosynthesis; Scots pine; shoot geometry; microvariation in irradiance

Published in 1984

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Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7634 | Download PDF