Highlights•Source activity (photosynthesis) depends on sink activity (tissue growth).•
Environmental stress constrains sink activity before it affects source activity.•Under drought …

In this essay, I am trying to draw attention to a number of misconceptions related to a
mechanistic understanding of environmental controls of plant growth. In contrast to wide …

In the first part of this paper, we review the extent to which various types of plant growth
models incorporate ecophysiological mechanisms. Many growth models have a central role …

The concept that photosynthetic flux is influenced by the accumulation of photo‐assimilate
persisted for 100 years before receiving any strong experimental support. Precise analysis …

Plant primary production is ultimately dependent on photosynthetic CO2 uptake. However,
photosynthate production also depends on the amount of photosynthetically active tissue …

In plants, carbon (C) molecules provide building blocks for biomass production, fuel for
energy, and exert signalling roles to shape development and metabolism. Accordingly, plant …

In the first part of this review, I discuss how we can predict the direct short‐term effect of
enhanced CO2 on photosynthetic rate in C3 terrestrial plants. To do this, I consider:(1) to …

Plants typically convert only 2% to 4% of the available energy in radiation into new plant
growth. This low efficiency has provided an impetus for trying to genetically manipulate …

Consequences of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration on plant structure, an
important determinant of physiological and competitive success, have not received sufficient …

Plants are much more dynamic than we usually expect them to be. This dynamic behaviour
is of paramount importance for their performance under natural conditions, when resources …