Annals of Botany 82: 195-202, 1998
© 1998 Annals of Botany Company
Trade-off Between Light- and Nitrogen-use Efficiency in Canopy Photosynthesis
Biological Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
January 30, 1998 ; April 25, 1998 .
If the light-use efficiency (LUE) of species in a canopy is constant, canopy photosynthesis (CP) is proportional to the number of photons (
) absorbed by the canopy (CP=LUEx
). Likewise, if nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) is constant, canopy photosynthesis is proportional to the amount of total leaf nitrogen (LN) (CP=NUExLN). We applied these concepts to monospecific and mixed (1:1) stands of annuals (Abutilon theophrastiandAmbrosia artemisiifolia) at two stages, established in an ambient (360 µl l-1) or elevated (700 µl l-1) CO2atmosphere. In both>CO2concentrations, across the two species, daily canopy photosynthesis gave strong linear regressions with zero intercepts both against the number of absorbed photons and against total leaf nitrogen in the canopy. Doubling CO2increased LUE by 2080% and NUE by 20100%. LUE tended to be higher inAmbrosiathan inAbutilon,and also higher in the later stage of canopy development than in the younger stage. Interference byAbutilonincreased the LUE ofAmbrosia.On the other hand, NUE tended to be higher inAbutilonthan inAmbrosia, and to be higher in younger than in later stages. Interference byAbutilondecreased the NUE ofAmbrosia.Thus, there are trade-offs (negative correlations) between LUE and NUE, which result from differences in leaf nitrogen per unit leaf area and from differences in leaf area development in the canopy. LUE increased with increasing leaf nitrogen concentration, while NUE increased with increasing light availability in the canopy.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company
Abutilon theophrasti,Ambrosia artemisiifolia, canopy photosynthesis, light-use efficiency, nitrogen-use efficiency, trade-off, CO2elevation.
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