Maximum carbon assimilation model for understory wood plants growing at Bagley Nature Area in Duluth, MN

These data were collected and analyzed for a project comparing the leaf phenology, carbon gain, growth, and freezing susceptibility of invasive and native species. Maximum seasonal carbon assimilation was modeled for six plants per eight species growing in a 50-year-old mixed forest. The model is based on understory light availability on sunny days, carbon dioxide assimilation rates, and leaf area adjusted in the spring for expanding leaves and in the fall for senescing leaves.