Circadian rhythms have significant effects on leaf-to-canopy gas exchange under field conditions

Molecular clocks drive oscillations in leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and other cell and leaf level processes over ~24 h under controlled laboratory conditions. The influence of such circadian regulation over whole canopy fluxes remains uncertain and diurnal CO₂and H₂O vapor flux dynamics in the field are currently interpreted as resulting almost exclusively from direct physiological responses to variations in light, temperature and other environmental factors. We tested whether circadian regulation would affect plant and canopy gas exchange at the CNRS Ecotron. Canopy and leaf level fluxes were constantly monitored under field-like environmental conditions, and also under constant environmental conditions (no variation in temperature, radiation or other environmental cues). Here we show first direct experimental evidence at canopy scales of circadian gas exchange regulation: 20-79% of the daily variation range in CO₂and H₂O fluxes occurred under circadian entrainment in canopies of an annual herb (bean) and of a perennial shrub (cotton). We also observed that considering circadian regulation improved performance in commonly used stomatal conductance models. Overall, our results show that overlooked circadian controls affect diurnal patterns of CO₂and H₂O fluxes in entire canopies and in field-like conditions, although this process is currently unaccounted for in models.