Characteristics of Light Availability Under Forest Canopies and Its Influences on Photosynthesis of Understory Plants

Available light under forest canopies includes two components, diffuse light and direct light (sunflecks), and is characterized as low and highly dynamic. Understory habitats under different forest types experience different light conditions. Sunflecks as a critical resource for understory plants have great importance on carbon gain of understory plants. Under the light-limiting habitat, understory plants exhibit a high light utilization efficiency attributed by a post-illumination CO2 uptake. Although different species have different photosynthetic responses, shade plants appear to be acclimated to respond more quickly and efficiently to sunflecks. This acclimation includes a faster induction, relatively lower rate of induction loss, lower photosynthetic compensation point, and higher water use efficiency. The process that shade plants harvest light energy is not well known. Studies of photosynthetic responses to sunflecks in natural conditions are rare. Little is known about constraints on sunfleck utilization, which may change seasonally. Extensive field studies in conjunction with laboratory investigations will be needed to further understand potential and actual constraints on sunfleck utilization. Most studies on photosynthetic responses to fluctuating light condition were done in the level of leaves. Fluctuating light utilization on the basis of whole plants and populations presents future challenges to ecologists.