Atmospheric CO mole fraction affects stand-scale carbon use efficiency of sunflower by stimulating respiration in light.

Plant carbon-use-efficiency (CUE), a key parameter in carbon cycle and plant growth models, quantifies the fraction of fixed carbon that is converted into net primary production rather than respired. CUE has not been directly measured, partly because of the difficulty of measuring respiration in light. Here, we explore if CUE is affected by atmospheric CO . Sunflower stands were grown at low (200 μmol mol ) or high CO (1000 μmol mol ) in controlled environment mesocosms. CUE of stands was measured by dynamic stand-scale C labelling and partitioning of photosynthesis and respiration. At the same plant age, growth at high CO (compared with low CO ) led to 91% higher rates of apparent photosynthesis, 97% higher respiration in the dark, yet 143% higher respiration in light. Thus, CUE was significantly lower at high (0.65) than at low CO (0.71). Compartmental analysis of isotopic tracer kinetics demonstrated a greater commitment of carbon reserves in stand-scale respiratory metabolism at high CO . Two main processes contributed to the reduction of CUE at high CO : a reduced inhibition of leaf respiration by light and a diminished leaf mass ratio. This work highlights the relevance of measuring respiration in light and assessment of the CUE response to environment conditions.