Primary simulation on the response of leaf maximum carboxylation rate to multiple environmental factors

Abstract

Plant maximum carboxylation rate plays a key role in terrestrial ecosystem model and also is an important parameter which represents plant photosynthetic capacity, thus a simulation model of plant maximum carboxylation rate will be very helpful to accurately predict plant photosynthesis rate and terrestrial productivity. Current studies reveal the high correlations between plant maximum carboxylation rate and environmental factors, so analysis of the relationship between plant maximum carboxylation rate and environmental factors is an effective way to establish the simulation model of plant maximum carboxylation rate. Based on the data of leaf maximum carboxylation rate and corresponding environmental factors from 104 literatures, the effects of environmental factors,such as temperature, soil water content, CO₂ content and soil N content, on leaf maximum carboxylation rate were analyzed. Results showed that plant leaf maximum carboxylation rate presented a hyperbolic relationship with temperature, soil water content CO₂ content, and a positive linear relationship with soil N content. Based on these relationships, a leaf maximum carboxylation rate model was developed considering the interactive effects of multiple environmental factors. The model was validated successfully, and it could explain 72.3% of the variation of leaf maximum carboxylation rate. This research provides a common parameter of leaf maximum carboxylation rate for accurate simulation of plant photosynthesis.