Respiration leaf size

Plants and their individual parts display distinct patterns in their respiratory rate during development. One of the earliest studies on respiratory patterns was conducted on sunflower plants and component parts during an entire growing season (Kidd et al., 1921). In Jerusalem artichokes, total carbon respired from the leaves was calculated from the respiratory rate of different aged leaves x their weight (Hogetsu et al., 1960). The vertical distribution of leaf size (g dwt) and respiratory losses... 

Since 0.47 MJ of solar energy is trapped as chemical energy in this process, the maximum efficiency for total white light absorption is 28.1%. Further adjustments are usually made to account for the percentages of photosyntheti-cally active radiation in white light that can actually be absorbed, and respiration. The fraction of photosynthetically active radiation in solar radiation that reaches the earth is estimated to be about 43%. The fraction of the incident light absorbed is a function of many factors such as leaf size, canopy shape, and reflectance of the plant it is estimated to have an upper limit of 80%. This effectively corresponds to the utilization of 8 photons out of every 10 in the active incident radiation. The third factor results from biomass respiration. A portion of the stored energy is used by the plant, the amount of which... 

By studying the effect of Bryophyllum leaf section thickness on respiration, Kinraide and Behan (1975) noted that as sections decreased in size, O2 uptake increased, and organic acid accumulation was depressed. The specific inhibitors of the citric acid cycle, malonate and fluoroacetate, inhibited the increased oxygen consumption and restored acid accumulation in the thin, 1-mm leaf sections. Other respiratory inhibitors, not specific for the citric acid cycle, did not restore acid accumulation. Hence, they concluded that respiration competes with acid synthesis. 

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