Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Variation in architectural traits related to the spatial and angular distribution of leaf area can have considerable impacts on canopy-scale fluxes contributing to water-use efficiency (WUE). These architectural traits are frequent targets for crop improvement and for improving the understanding and predictions of net ecosystem carbon and water fluxes. METHODS: A three-dimensional, leaf-resolving model along with a range of virtually generated hypothetical canopies were used to quantify interactions between canopy structure and WUE by examining its response to variation of leaf inclination independent of leaf azimuth, canopy heterogeneity, vegetation density and physiological parameters. KEY RESULTS: Overall, increasing leaf area index (LAI), increasing the daily-averaged fraction of leaf area projected in the sun direction (Gavg) via the leaf inclination or azimuth distribution and increasing homogeneity had a similar effect on canopy-scale daily fluxes contributing to WUE. Increasing any of these parameters tended to increase daily light interception, increase daily net photosynthesis at low LAI and decrease it at high LAI, increase daily transpiration and decrease WUE. Isolated spherical crowns could decrease photosynthesis by ~60 % but increase daily WUE ≤130 % relative to a homogeneous canopy with equivalent leaf area density. There was no observed optimum in daily canopy WUE as LAI, leaf angle distribution or heterogeneity was varied. However, when the canopy was dense, a more vertical leaf angle distribution could increase both photosynthesis and WUE simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS: Variation in leaf angle and density distributions can have a substantial impact on canopy-level carbon and water fluxes, with potential trade-offs between the two. These traits might therefore be viable target traits for increasing or maintaining crop productivity while using less water, and for improvement of simplified models. Increasing canopy density or decreasing canopy heterogeneity increases the impact of leaf angle on WUE and its dependent processes.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing LAI, Gavg or homogeneity tended to increase daily light interception.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing any of these parameters tended to increase daily light interception, increase daily net photosynthesis at low LAI and decrease it at high LAI, increase daily transpiration and decrease WUE.”
e1“increasing leaf area index (LAI), increasing the daily-averaged fraction of leaf area projected in the sun direction (Gavg) via the leaf inclination or azimuth distribution and increasing homogeneity”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing LAI, Gavg or homogeneity tended to increase daily net photosynthesis at low LAI.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing any of these parameters tended to increase daily light interception, increase daily net photosynthesis at low LAI and decrease it at high LAI, increase daily transpiration and decrease WUE.”
e1“increasing leaf area index (LAI), increasing the daily-averaged fraction of leaf area projected in the sun direction (Gavg) via the leaf inclination or azimuth distribution and increasing homogeneity”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing LAI, Gavg or homogeneity tended to decrease daily net photosynthesis at high LAI.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing any of these parameters tended to increase daily light interception, increase daily net photosynthesis at low LAI and decrease it at high LAI, increase daily transpiration and decrease WUE.”
e1“increasing leaf area index (LAI), increasing the daily-averaged fraction of leaf area projected in the sun direction (Gavg) via the leaf inclination or azimuth distribution and increasing homogeneity”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing LAI, Gavg or homogeneity tended to increase daily transpiration.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing any of these parameters tended to increase daily light interception, increase daily net photosynthesis at low LAI and decrease it at high LAI, increase daily transpiration and decrease WUE.”
e1“increasing leaf area index (LAI), increasing the daily-averaged fraction of leaf area projected in the sun direction (Gavg) via the leaf inclination or azimuth distribution and increasing homogeneity”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing LAI, Gavg or homogeneity tended to decrease WUE.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing any of these parameters tended to increase daily light interception, increase daily net photosynthesis at low LAI and decrease it at high LAI, increase daily transpiration and decrease WUE.”
e1“increasing leaf area index (LAI), increasing the daily-averaged fraction of leaf area projected in the sun direction (Gavg) via the leaf inclination or azimuth distribution and increasing homogeneity”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Isolated spherical crowns decreased photosynthesis by approximately 60% relative to homogeneous canopy.
Verbatim
e0“Isolated spherical crowns could decrease photosynthesis by ~60 % but increase daily WUE ≤130 % relative to a homogeneous canopy with equivalent leaf area density.”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Isolated spherical crowns increased daily WUE by up to 130% relative to homogeneous canopy.
Verbatim
e0“Isolated spherical crowns could decrease photosynthesis by ~60 % but increase daily WUE ≤130 % relative to a homogeneous canopy with equivalent leaf area density.”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
No optimum daily canopy WUE appeared as LAI, leaf angle or heterogeneity varied.
Verbatim
e0“There was no observed optimum in daily canopy WUE as LAI, leaf angle distribution or heterogeneity was varied.”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
In dense canopies, more vertical leaf angles could increase both photosynthesis and WUE.
Verbatim
e0“when the canopy was dense, a more vertical leaf angle distribution could increase both photosynthesis and WUE simultaneously.”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing canopy density or decreasing heterogeneity increases the impact of leaf angle on WUE and related processes.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing canopy density or decreasing canopy heterogeneity increases the impact of leaf angle on WUE and its dependent processes.”
t0“plant canopies”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf angle and density traits may be viable targets for maintaining crop productivity with less water and improving simplified models.
Verbatim
e0“These traits might therefore be viable target traits for increasing or maintaining crop productivity while using less water, and for improvement of simplified models.”
e1“Variation in leaf angle and density distributions”
t0“plant canopies”