Transplanting larch trees into warmer areas increases the photosynthesis and its temperature sensitivity

To investigate the effects of climate warming on photosynthesis, Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) trees from four sites (spanning similar to 5.5 degrees in latitude and similar to 4 degrees C of warming) within the geographic range in China were transplanted into a common garden close to the warmer border in 2004. Throughout the growing season of 2018, the CO2- and temperature-response curves of the photosynthesis in the common garden and at the original sites were measured. It was discovered that warming treatment considerably increased the maximum net photosynthetic rate (A(max)) by 23.4-35.3% depending on the sites, signifying that warming upregulated A(max) with respect to the degree of warming. At 25 degrees C, warming enhanced the maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (V-cmax), maximum electron transport rate (J(max)), and mass-based leaf nitrogen concentration (N-mass). The climate warming effect (CWE) on A(max) was positively associated with the CWEs on V-cmax, J(max) and N-mass, which indicated that warming promoted A(max) primarily via increasing carboxylation and photosynthetic electron transport rates and leaf nitrogen supply. The CWE in optimal photosynthetic temperature (T-opt) was significant for the trees from the northern sites rather than the southern sites; however, the effect vanished for the trees transplanted to the common garden; this implied that T-opt exhibited limited local thermal acclimation. Nevertheless, warming narrowed the temperature-response curve, the effect of which was positively associated with the warming magnitude. These findings implied that trees transplanted into warmer areas changed the photosynthetic optimum temperature and sensitivity. In summary, our results deepen the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of intraspecific responses of photosynthesis to temperature changes, including which of the modeling would improve the prediction of tree growth and forest carbon cycling under climate warming.

Automated summary

In this study, the effects of climate warming on photosynthesis were investigated by transplanting Dahurian larch trees from different sites in China into a common garden. The results showed that warming treatment significantly increased the maximum net photosynthetic rate (A(max)) and promoted A(max) primarily through increasing carboxylation and photosynthetic electron transport rates and leaf nitrogen supply. The effect of climate warming on the optimal photosynthetic temperature (T-opt) was significant for trees from the northern sites but disappeared for trees transplanted to the common garden, indicating limited local thermal acclimation. These findings deepen the understanding of how intraspecific photosynthetic responses to temperature changes and can improve predictions of tree growth and forest carbon cycling under climate warming.