Canopy Structure Exhibits Linear and Nonlinear Links to Biome‐Level Maximum Light Use Efficiency

Dashti, Hamid; Chen, Min; Hao, Dalei; Yang, Xi

doi:10.1111/ele.70142

Title: Canopy Structure Exhibits Linear and Nonlinear Links to Biome‐Level Maximum Light Use Efficiency

Journal Article · Tue Jun 03 00:00:00 UTC 2025 · Ecology Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70142 · OSTI ID:2574944

^[1]; Chen, Min ^[1]; Hao, Dalei ^[2];

^[3]

Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)

Maximum light use efficiency (ε_max) represents a plant's capacity to convert light into carbon during photosynthesis. Although prior studies have explored ε_max variations between sunlit and shaded leaves or its temporal ties to canopy structure, the spatial relationship between biome-level ε_max (ε_biome) and biome structure remains poorly understood. We analysed data from 320 eddy covariance sites (~855 site-years) with satellite-derived near-infrared reflectance of vegetation (NIRv) and leaf area index (LAI). We introduced NIRvN (NIRv/LAI) to isolate architectural effects from leaf quantity. Site-level ε_max was calculated and aggregated by biome to derive ε_biome. Results show ε_biome rises nonlinearly with NIRv and LAI, saturating at high LAI, with crops and tropical evergreen forests deviating from this trend. Conversely, ε_biome decreases linearly with increasing NIRvN, indicating that biomes with greater NIR scattering efficiency exhibit lower ε_biome. These results enhance understanding of structural influences on carbon uptake across global biomes.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 2574944

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--205311

Journal Information:: Ecology Letters, Journal Name: Ecology Letters Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 28; ISSN 1461-0248; ISSN 1461-023X

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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