@article{99f91c5add334b6eaa59c72ebd009d15,
title = "Leaf-level photosynthetic capacity in lowland Amazonian and high-elevation Andean tropical moist forests of Peru",
abstract = "We examined whether variations in photosynthetic capacity are linked to variations in the environment and/or associated leaf traits for tropical moist forests (TMFs) in the Andes/western Amazon regions of Peru. We compared photosynthetic capacity (maximal rate of carboxylation of Rubisco (Vcmax), and the maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax)), leaf mass, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) per unit leaf area (Ma, Na and Pa, respectively), and chlorophyll from 210 species at 18 field sites along a 3300-m elevation gradient. Western blots were used to quantify the abundance of the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco. Area- and N-based rates of photosynthetic capacity at 25°C were higher in upland than lowland TMFs, underpinned by greater investment of N in photosynthesis in high-elevation trees. Soil [P] and leaf Pa were key explanatory factors for models of area-based Vcmax and Jmax but did not account for variations in photosynthetic N-use efficiency. At any given Na and Pa, the fraction of N allocated to photosynthesis was higher in upland than lowland species. For a small subset of lowland TMF trees examined, a substantial fraction of Rubisco was inactive. These results highlight the importance of soil- and leaf-P in defining the photosynthetic capacity of TMFs, with variations in N allocation and Rubisco activation state further influencing photosynthetic rates and N-use efficiency of these critically important forests.",
keywords = "carboxylation capacity, elevation, leaf traits, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), ribulose bisphosphate regeneration, temperature, tropical forests",
author = "Bahar, {Nur H.A.} and Ishida, {F. Yoko} and Weerasinghe, {Lasantha K.} and Rossella Guerrieri and O'Sullivan, {Odhran S.} and Bloomfield, {Keith J.} and Asner, {Gregory P.} and Martin, {Roberta E.} and Jon Lloyd and Yadvinder Malhi and Phillips, {Oliver L.} and Patrick Meir and Norma Salinas and Cosio, {Eric G.} and Domingues, {Tomas F.} and Quesada, {Carlos A.} and Felipe Sinca and {Escudero Vega}, Alberto and {Zuloaga Ccorimanya}, {Paola P.} and {del Aguila-Pasquel}, Jhon and {Quispe Huaypar}, Katherine and {Cuba Torres}, Israel and {Butr{\'o}n Loayza}, Rosalbina and {Pelaez Tapia}, Yulina and {Huaman Ovalle}, Judit and Long, {Benedict M.} and Evans, {John R.} and Atkin, {Owen K.}",
note = "Funding Information: We thank R. Tupayachi, N. Jaramillo, F. Sinca, L. Carranza-Jimenez and the Spectranomics team for field and laboratory assistance. Measurements were made in plots inventoried and maintained by RAINFOR (http://www.rainfor.org) investigators from Peru. Access to the field sites was also facilitated by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grants (to O.L.P., Y.M., J.L. and G.P.A.). Foliar sampling, taxonomic determinations, and chemical analyses were supported by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to the Carnegie Institution for Science. This work was also funded by grants/fellowships from the Australian Research Council (DP0986823, DP130101252, CE140100008 and FT0991448 to O.K.A.; and FT110100457 to P.M.), and NERC grants (NE/C51621X/1 and NE/F002149/1 to P.M.). R.G. was supported by a Newton International Fellowship (funded by the Royal Society, the British Academy and the Royal Academy of Engineering). N.H.A.B. is funded by a Malaysian Government Postgraduate Scholarship. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist {\textcopyright} 2016 New Phytologist Trust",
year = "2017",
month = may,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1111/nph.14079",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "214",
pages = "1002--1018",
journal = "New Phytologist",
issn = "0028-646X",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "3",
}