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Canopy Structure Exhibits Linear and Nonlinear Links to Biome-Level Maximum Light Use Efficiency
Hamid Dashti1, Min Chen1, Dalei Hao2
1Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Ecology Letters
|June 3, 2025
Summary
Global plant carbon uptake, maximum light use efficiency (LUE), is linked to biome structure. Higher LUE is observed with increased vegetation density (LAI) and near-infrared reflectance (NIRv), but decreases with greater light scattering (NIRvN).
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Physiology
- Remote Sensing
Background:
- Maximum light use efficiency (LUE) is crucial for photosynthesis, but its biome-level spatial relationship with biome structure is unclear.
- Previous research focused on LUE variations in sunlit/shaded leaves and temporal canopy dynamics, not broad biome structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatial relationship between biome-level maximum light use efficiency (εbiome) and biome structure.
- To understand how vegetation structure influences ecosystem carbon uptake across global biomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 320 eddy covariance sites (855 site-years) combined with satellite-derived near-infrared reflectance of vegetation (NIRv) and leaf area index (LAI).
- Introduced NIRvN (NIRv/LAI) to differentiate architectural effects from leaf quantity.
- Calculated site-level εmax and aggregated to derive biome-level εbiome.
Main Results:
- Biome-level LUE (εbiome) increased nonlinearly with NIRv and LAI, reaching saturation at high LAI.
- Crops and tropical evergreen forests showed distinct trends, deviating from the general saturation pattern.
- εbiome decreased linearly with increasing NIRvN, indicating lower LUE in biomes with higher NIR scattering efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Biome structure significantly influences ecosystem carbon uptake.
- Vegetation architecture and leaf quantity are key determinants of biome-level light use efficiency.
- Findings improve understanding of structural controls on photosynthesis across diverse global ecosystems.
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