A review of light interception in plant stands from leaf to canopy in different plant functional types and in species with varying shade tolerance

Abstract Changes in the efficiency of light interception and in the costs for light harvesting along the light gradients from the top of the plant canopy to the bottom are the major means by which efficient light harvesting is achieved in ecosystems. In the current review analysis, leaf, shoot and canopy level determinants of plant light harvesting, the light‐driven plasticity in key traits altering light harvesting, and variations among different plant functional types and between species of different shade tolerance are analyzed. In addition, plant age‐ and size‐dependent alterations in light harvesting efficiency are also examined. At the leaf level, the variations in light harvesting are driven by…