Figure 1: Photosynthesis is reduced by drying soils and climate warming. (Courtesy - Reich P. B. et al. 2018)
Altering soil moisture and thermal effects can induce climate warming which influences photosynthesis. These effects play a vital role in global forests where soil moisture reduces carbon gain and cool temperatures reduce photosynthesis. Higher temperatures can increase enzymatic limits of photosynthesis, if and when low soil water causes stomatal closure and limitation of the carbon dioxide substrate for photosynthesis. Mid and higher latitude plants will experience both the positive and negative effects of climate warming on photosynthesis. Reich P. B. and his colleagues conducted a research to show that the plants will receive positive effects of climate warming if soil moisture is ample and the effects will be negative if soils are drier. Eventually such effects are depended on the balance of time. Low soil moisture has a moderate effect on the photosynthetic enhancement that results from experimental warming (Reich P. B. et al. 2018). In future when the earth will become warmer, it will lead strong stomatal limitations of photosynthesis and higher evapotranspiration will lower the soil moisture and decrease the net photosynthesis. Either it is extremely cold or extremely hot, the plants will have less photosynthesis. Thus maintaining a stable climate temperature should be one of the primary concerns nowadays.
Original article:
Reich, P. B., Sendall, K. M., Stefanski, A., Rich, R. L., Hobbie, S. E., & Montgomery, R. A. (2018). Effects of climate warming on photosynthesis in boreal tree species depend on soil moisture. Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0582-4
No comments:
Post a Comment