Remote Monitoring of Photosynthetic Efficiency Using Laser Induced Fluorescence Transient (LIFT) Technique

The Interaction Of Phototrophic Organisms With Their Environment Is A Dynamic And Variable System. Studying The Underlying Processes Is Important For Understanding And Modeling The Response To Changing Environmental Conditions And Requires Continuous And Spatially Distributed Monitoring. Limited Access To Many Canopies And Scale Of Observation With Portable Instrumentation Make It Difficult To Examine Dynamics Of Canopy Photosynthesis. We Report Here On The Application Of A Recently Developed Technique, Laser Induced Fluorescence Transient (Lift), For Continuous Remote Measurement Of Photosynthetic Efficiency Of Selected Leaves Within An Oak Tree Canopy, Grass Community Below This Tree And, Thalli Of Lichen On Branches Of The Tree Over 50 Days In Spring. While The Oak Tree Showed Very Little Variation Of Quantum Yield Throughout The Measuring Period, A Reduction Of Photosynthetic Efficiency Of The Grass Community Was Observed And, The Photosynthetic Efficiency Of Lichens Was Strongly Correlated With Relative Humidity.