Mean labor time of a leaf

Abstract

The mean labor time of a leaf (hour/day−1) is defined as the ratio of mean daily photosynthetic rate of a leaf (Da; mol m−2 day−1) to the mean value of potential hourly photosynthetic rate (60 ⋅ 60Amax mol m−2 h−1) of the leaf. A model was proposed to estimate mean labor time of leaves. Mean labor time was obtained as the product of 24 (hours/day−1) and the four effects, each of which reduces production of a leaf: diel change in light (Diel Effect), reduction in light during cloudy and rainy days (Cloudy Effect), shading on the focal leaves (Shading Effect), and midday and afternoon depression in photosynthesis (Depression Effect). These four effects were estimated for open grown saplings of alder (Alnus sieboldiana), by measuring instantaneous photosynthetic rate and photon flux density above each leaf. The potential daily photosynthetic rate calculated from diel light condition in a clear day was 46.5% of hypothetical daily photosynthetic rate where maximum instantaneous photosynthetic rate was assumed to last throughout the life of the leaf (Diel Effect). The average of the daily photosynthetic rate considering clear, cloudy and rainy days was 79.7% of the clear day (Cloudy Effect). The photosynthetic rate estimated from light condition on the leaf was 85.6% of that in the open site (Shading Effect). Midday depression reduced the daily photosynthetic rate to 72.1% of the potential daily photosynthetic rate (Depression Effect). The product of the four effects multiplied by 24 h gave the estimate of mean labor time of leaves to be approximately 5.5 (h/day−1).