Shedding Light on Plant
Respiration
Atleigh Forden and Jacob Eisenberg
Advisor: Paul Gaughtier - Bender Lab
Summary
Quantifying the gas exchange between leaves and the
atmosphere
The two major fluxes are photosynthesis
and respiration
Light
Photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 6H2O
C6H12O6 + 6O2
Respiration: C6H12O6 + 6O2
6CO2 + 6H2O
During the daytime, both occur at the same time.
Easy to measure the net exchange, challenging to parse
out the gross fluxes. Except in the dark.
Kok Effect
Heskel, 2013
Location
- Why Arctic?
- Why Sweden?
ANS
- Abisko Science
Center
- 68N
Field Site
Methods
LICOR 6400, a portable
photosynthesis system
Three trees, took
measurements at 12am,
8am, and 4pm
Light response curves,
ranging from 0-200 PAR
Results
Typical individual leaf P v I curve
results
What does this mean?
No change in slope means no inhibition of respiration → no Kok
Effect
Take-Away
The logistics and challenges
of field research
Data analysis
How a lab group functions
and pursues different areas
of research
LiCor skills