Abstract
Among the people who do photosynthesis research at the leaf, plant or canopy level, the devices used to measure photosynthesis are usually referred to as gas-exchange systems or simply as ‘systems’. The concept that photosynthesis is measured with a system, rather than a single instrument, is an important place to start, for two reasons. First, the system concept emphasizes the fact that we have nothing like a discrete photosynthesis sensor. Photosynthesis is always a calculated parameter, determined from measurements of CO2 concentrations, gas flows and sometimes other parameters, depending on the measurement philosophy. Second, the system concept reminds us that gas-exchange systems typically measure more than just photosynthesis, for the reason that photosynthesis data are greatly enhanced by the simultaneous acquisition of other kinds of information.
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Field, C.B., Ball, J.T., Berry, J.A. (1989). Photosynthesis: principles and field techniques. In: Pearcy, R.W., Ehleringer, J.R., Mooney, H.A., Rundel, P.W. (eds) Plant Physiological Ecology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2221-1_11
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