Modelling of canopy photosynthesis
Carbon fixation by the leaf canopy is the primary driver for crop growth and plant ecosystem models. However, spatial integration from leaves to canopy can present difficulties.
Thornley (pp. 451-458) derives analytical expressions for sun and shade leaves based on exponential light decay down the canopy and an acclimated non-rectangular hyperbola for leaf photosynthesis. These provide a biologically transparent and computationally efficient algorithm for modellers.
