Increasing cold stress on photosynthesis in a warming climate?

Low temperatures, e.g., by late frost events, have the potential to substantially reduce photosynthesis and limit the gains from an extending growing season in a warming climate. However, open questions remain regarding how such stress effects can be observed and modelled. The objective of this project is to develop methods for accurately simulating ecosystem CO2 uptake during the early season, when light use efficiency of photosynthesis is reduced. The focus will be put on using remotely sensed multispectral data that yield insights into cold-stress adaptations, and link these with process-explicit modelling of photosynthetic rates and photodamage. This will yield satellite data-informed estimates of cold-stress impacts on photosynthesis over the past decades and in future warming scenarios. The project connects WSL's expertise in ecosystem modelling and remote sensing and establishes the basis for expanding methods to multiple stressors, including droughts effects on photosynthesis.