Unraveling acclimation mechanisms in plants to fluctuating light

Fluctuations in light intensity are ubiquitous for plants growing in the field and in greenhouses. Long-term exposure to fluctuating light induces acclimatory adjustments of morphology, anatomy and/or biochemistry to optimize photosynthetic efficiency and productivity. This thesis explores two aspects of fluctuating light acclimation: 1) interaction between environmental factors such as CO2 concentration  and temperature with fluctuating light and 2) natural genetic variation in acclimation to fluctuating light. The results show that fluctuating light negatively impacts plant growth and this is partially mitigated under elevated CO2 by adjustments in plant morphology and anatomy. When light fluctuations were accompanied by fluctuations of leaf temperature, leaf photosynthesis and stomatal responses were stronger than when only light fluctuated. Substantial genetic variation was demonstrated in the magnitude of acclimation to fluctuating light. Overall, this research advances our understanding of acclimation mechanisms employed by plants to fluctuating light. This might hold the potential for identification of novel targets for crop improvement, and therefore increasing food production.