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Photosynthesis of ground vegetation in different aged pine forests: Effect of environmental factors predicted with a process‐based model
Author(s) -
Kulmala L.,
Pumpanen J.,
Hari P.,
Vesala T.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2010.01228.x
Subject(s) - vegetation (pathology) , environmental science , moss , photosynthesis , perennial plant , precipitation , growing season , annual cycle , population , frost (temperature) , ecology , water content , atmospheric sciences , agronomy , botany , biology , geography , geology , meteorology , medicine , demography , geotechnical engineering , pathology , sociology
Question: How do stand age and environmental factors affect the species‐specific photosynthesis of ground vegetation? Location: Five different aged pine forests in Southern Finland. Methods: We measured photosynthesis of common species of ground vegetation during the growing season of 2006. Results: The measured vascular species, especially those with annual leaves, had a clear seasonal cycle in their measured photosynthetic activity ( P max i ). A simple model that uses site‐specific temperature history, soil moisture and recent frost as input data was able to predict the changes in photosynthetic activity in dwarf shrubs with perennial leaves. The P max i values of mosses did not have a clear seasonal cycle, but low values occurred after rain‐free periods and high values after precipitation. We modified the model for mosses and included temporary rain events. The model was able to predict most of the large changes in P max i of mosses resulting from varying weather events but there was still some uncertainty, which was probably due to difficulties in measuring fluxes over a moss population. Conclusions: Temperature history, recent frosts and soil moisture determine the changes in P max i of dwarf shrubs with perennial leaves. The P max i of mosses depends mostly on recent precipitation.