Use of a greenhouse as an open chamber for canopy gas exchange measurements: Methodology and validation

Measurements of whole-canopy gas exchange – of CO2 and H2O – are important for agricultural and ecological reasons. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of a full-size greenhouse as an open-chamber system for measuring canopy-scale gas exchange. Measurements were validated by comparison with gas exchange scaled up from leaf- and plant-level measurements. Leaf-level measurements used a conventional hand-held cuvette gas exchange system at many points in the greenhouse. The experiments were done in a greenhouse with an area of (15 × 24) m2 in which a pepper crop was grown. Within the canopy photosynthetic activity and transpiration changed with height, as expected. In addition, it was shown both theoretically and experimentally that in the absence of air mixing within the chamber, gradients of CO2 and H2O developed along the airflow direction. Theoretical estimates of the gradients were in good agreement with measured values. In spite of the gradients, canopy photosynthesis and transpiration could be estimated relatively accurately. For instance, the values of canopy photosynthesis and transpiration, during the course of the day, as measured with the open-chamber approach, were in good agreement with mean values obtained from measurements on individual leaves. However, transpiration values obtained both from open-chamber measurements and from individual leaves were generally a little lower than those obtained with lysimeters.

► In a large chamber without air mixing, gradients of CO2 and H2O develop in the flow direction. ► The measured gradients along the chamber are in good agreement with model predictions. ► In spite of the gradients, canopy photosynthesis and transpiration can be estimated. ► It appears that the plants adjust themselves to the changing microclimate along the chamber.