Published December 8, 2025
| Version 2
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Leaf chamber experiments on sunflowers indicate a temperature-dependent compensation point of carbonyl sulfide
Authors/Creators
- 1. Meteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
- 2. Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
- 3. Horticulture and Product Physiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
- 4. Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 5. Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Description
Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is a trace gas found in the atmosphere that plants take up in a way similar to carbon dioxide (CO 2) during photosynthesis. Because of this shared pathway, COS has been widely used to estimate how much CO 2 plants absorb from the atmosphere—a process known as gross primary production (GPP). In our study, we conducted experiments using sunflower leaves in controlled chambers and found that COS and CO 2 respond differently to changes in temperature and humidity. Surprisingly, we also observed that sunflower leaves may release COS back into the atmosphere when COS levels are low and temperatures are high. This finding challenges the long-standing assumption that plants only absorb COS and do not emit it. Our research highlights that understanding how COS behaves in plants under different environmental conditions is crucial for using it as a reliable tool to estimate how much CO 2 is absorbed by vegetation.
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