Nocturnal plant respiration is under strong non-temperature control

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 5650
• Main Authors: Bruhn, Dan, Newman, Freya, Hancock, Mathilda, Povlsen, Peter, Slot, Martijn, Sitch, Stephen, Drake, John, Weedon, Graham P, Clark, Douglas B, Pagter, Majken, Ellis, Richard J, Tjoelker, Mark G, Andersen, Kelly M, Correa, Zorayda Restrepo, McGuire, Patrick C, Mercado, Lina M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 26.09.2022; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Biosphere; Darkness; Net Primary Productivity; Night; Nocturnal variations; Primary production; Respiration; Temperature control; Variation
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33370-1

Abstract Most biological rates depend on the rate of respiration. Temperature variation is typically considered the main driver of daily plant respiration rates, assuming a constant daily respiration rate at a set temperature. Here, we show empirical data from 31 species from temperate and tropical biomes to demonstrate that the rate of plant respiration at a constant temperature decreases monotonically with time through the night, on average by 25% after 8 h of darkness. Temperature controls less than half of the total nocturnal variation in respiration. A new universal formulation is developed to model and understand nocturnal plant respiration, combining the nocturnal decrease in the rate of plant respiration at constant temperature with the decrease in plant respiration according to the temperature sensitivity. Application of the new formulation shows a global reduction of 4.5 −6 % in plant respiration and an increase of 7-10% in net primary production for the present-day.