Current position
Senior Fellow
Research interests
Dr Evans' research has focussed on photosynthesis in relation to nitrogen content and the acclimation to growth irradiance. He has examined how nitrogen is partitioned between various photosynthetic proteins, how their distribution through leaves interacts with the distribution of light and CO2 through leaves. He has researched into the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on nitrogen cycling, with particular reference to symbiotic N2 fixation by Acacia sp. and clover. He also examines CO2 diffusion within leaves.
Career Summary
2002: Senior Fellow
2002-2006:
Deputy CEO for the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse
Accounting
2001-2006: Program B leader in the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting
1995: Fellow, Environmental Biology Group, RSBS, ANU, working
on the effect of elevated CO2 on symbiotic nitrogen fixation by
Acacias.
1991-95: Research Fellow, Plant Environmental Biology Group,
RSBS, ANU, working on (i) the analysis of CO2 diffusion within
leaves (ii) the physiological analysis of transgenic tobacco plants
with antisense RNA to key photosynthetic enzymes, (iii) nitrogen
distribution within and between leaves in the leaf canopy with
respect to photosynthesis, (iv) the factors determining the photosynthetic
light response curve.
1988-90: Queen Elizabeth II Fellow, Plant Environmental Biology
Group, RSBS, ANU, examining the photosynthetic characteristics
of sun and shade plants.
1986-87: CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship at CSIRO, Plant Industry,
Canberra, with JM Anderson, relating electron transport to chloroplast
intrinsic proteins through the use of growth irradiance and nitrogen
stress, examining the distribution of light between the two photosystems,
examining the effect of nitrogen partitioning in sun and shade
plants on their photosynthetic properties.
1984-85: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Plant Breeding Institute,
Cambridge, UK, on a Royal Commission for the exhibition of 1851
Scholarship, with RB Austin working on Rubisco specific activity
in relation to wheat genotypes.
1984: PhD, ANU
1979: BSc (Hons 1), ANU
Selected Publications
Volder A, Gifford RM and Evans JR. (2007) Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2, cutting frequency and differential day/night atmospheric warming on root growth and turnover of Phalaris swards. Global Change Biology 13, 1040–1052.
Edwards EJ, McCaffery S and Evans JR. (2006) The influence of phosphorus availability and elevated CO2 on biological nitrogen fixation and nutrient fluxes in a clover dominated sward. New Phytologist 169:157-167.
Poorter H, Pepin S, Rijkers T, de Jong Y, Evans JR, and Körner C. (2006) Construction costs, chemical composition and payback time of high- and low-irradiance leaves. Journal of Experimental Botany 57: 355-371.
Stock WD and Evans JR. (2006) Effects of water availability, nitrogen supply and atmospheric CO2 concentrations on plant nitrogen natural abundance values. Functional Plant Biology 33:219-227.
Kirschbaum MUF, Bruhn D, Etheridge DM, Evans JR, Farquhar GD, Gifford RM, Paul KI, Winters AJ. (2006) A comment on the quantitative significance of aerobic methane release by plants. Functional Plant Biology 33:521-530.
Evans JR and Vogelmann TC. (2006) Photosynthesis within isobilateral Eucalyptus pauciflora leaves. New Phytologist 171:771-182.
Ghannoum O, Evans JR, Chow WS, Andrews TJ, Conroy JP, and von Caemmerer S (2005) Faster Rubisco is the key to superior nitrogen-use efficiency in NADP-malic enzyme relative to NAD-malic enzyme C4 grasses. Plant Physiology 137:638-650.
Edwards EJ, McCaffery S and Evans JR. (2005) Phosphorus status determines biomass response to elevated CO2 in a legume: C4 grass community. Global Change Biology 11:1968-1981. Volder, A, Edwards EJ, Evans JR, Robertson
BC, Schortemeyer M and Gifford RM (2004) Does greater night-time,
rather than constant, warming alter growth of managed pasture
under ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2? New Phytologist 162:397-411.
June T, Evans JR, Farquhar GD (2004) A simple new equation for
the reversible temperature dependence of photosynthetic electron
transport: a study on soybean leaf. Functional Plant Biology 31:275-283.
Evans JR, Vogelmann TC, Williams W and Gorton H. (2004) Light
capture by the leaf. Chapter 2 in (eds WK Smith, TC Vogelmann,
and C. Critchley) "Photosynthetic Adaptation: Chloroplast
to the Landscape"; Ecological Studies 178, Springer, NY,
USA. pp 15-41.
Evans JR, Terashima I, Hanba Y and Loreto F. (2004) CO2 capture
by the leaf. Chapter 5 in (eds WK Smith, TC Vogelmann, and C.
Critchley) "Photosynthetic Adaptation: Chloroplast to the
Landscape"; Ecological Studies 178, Springer, NY, USA. pp
107-132
Watt M and Evans JR (2003) Phosphorus acquisition from soil by
white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.)- species
with contrasting root development. Plant & Soil 248:271-283.
Evans JR and Vogelmann TC (2003) Profiles of 14C fixation through
spinach leaves in relation to light absorption and photsynthetic
capacity. Plant Cell & Environment 26: 547-560 (in press)
Vogelmann TC and Evans JR. (2002) Profiles of light absorption
and chlorophyll within spinach leaves from chlorophyll fluorescence.
Plant Cell & Environment 25:1313-1323.
Schortemeyer, M., Atkin, O.K., McFarlane, N. and Evans, J.R.
(2002) N2 fixation by Acacia species
increases under elevated atmospheric CO2.
Plant Cell & Environment 25:567-579 (Cover photo)
Poorter H, Evans JR (1998) Photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency
of species that differ inherently in specific leaf area. Oecologia,
116, 26-37.
Atkin OK, Schortemeyer M, McFarlane N, Evans, JR (1998) Variation
in the underlying components of relative growth rate in ten Acacia
species from contrasting environments. Plant, Cell & Env,
21, 1007-1017.
Evans JR (1996) Developmental constraints on photosynthesis:
effects of light and nutrition (ed. NR Baker) Photosynthesis and
the environment. Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp 281-304.
Evans JR, Caemmerer S von (1996) CO2 diffusion
inside leaves. Plant Physiology 110, 339-346.
Evans JR (1995) Carbon fixation profiles do reflect light absorption
profiles in leaves. Aust J Plant Physiology 22, 865-873.
Evans JR, Caemmerer S von, Setchell BA, Hudson, GS (1994) The
relationship between CO2 transfer conductance
and leaf anatomy in transgenic Tobacco with a reduced content
of Rubisco. Aust. J Plant Physiology 21, 475-495.
Relating photosynthesis to leaf nitrogen in C3 leaves
Evans, J.R. (1983) Nitrogen and photosynthesis in the flag leaf
of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant Physiol. 72, 297-302.
Evans, J.R., and Terashima, I. (1987) Effects of nitrogen nutrition
on electron transport components and photosynthesis in spinach.
Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 14, 59-68.
Evans, J.R. (1989) Photosynthesis and nitrogen relationships in
leaves of C3 plants. Oecologia 78, 9-19.
Evans, J.R. and Seemann, J.R. (1989) The allocation of protein
nitrogen in the photosynthetic apparatus: costs, consequences
and control. In: (W.R. Briggs, ed.) 'Photosynthesis'. Alan R.
Liss, New York, pp. 183-205.
Poorter H and Evans JR (1998) Photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency
of species that differ inherently in specific leaf area. Oecologia
116: 26-37
Internal conductance - CO2 diffusion inside leaves
Evans, J.R., Sharkey, T.D., Berry, J.A. and Farquhar, G.D. (1986)
Carbon isotope discrimination measured concurrently with gas exchange
to investigate CO2 diffusion in leaves of higher plants. Aust.
J. Plant Physiol. 13, 281-292.
Caemmerer, S. von and Evans, J.R. (1991) Determination of the
average partial pressure of CO2 in chloroplasts from leaves of
several C3 plants. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 18, 287-305.
Evans, J.R., Caemmerer, S. von, Setchell, B.A. and Hudson, G.S.
(1994) The relationship between CO2 transfer conductance and leaf
anatomy in transgenic Tobacco with a reduced content of Rubisco.
Aust. J Plant Physiol. 21, 475-495.
Caemmerer, S.von, Evans, J.R., Hudson, G.S. and Andrews, T.J.
(1994) The kinetics of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase
in vivo inferred from measurements of photosynthesis in leaves
of transgenic tobacco. Planta 195,88-97.
Evans, J.R. and Caemmerer, S. von (1996) CO2 diffusion inside
leaves. Plant Physiol. 110, 339-346. (Update)
Evans, J.R. and Loreto, F. (2000) Acquisition and diffusion of
CO2 in higher plant leaves. In (RC Leegood, TD Sharkey and S von
Caemmerer, eds) 'Photosynthesis: Physiology and Metabolism', Kluwer
Academic Publishers, The Netherlands pp 321-351
Photosynthetic acclimation to growth irradiance
Evans, J.R. (1987) The relationship between electron transport
components and photosynthetic capacity in pea leaves grown at
different irradiances. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 14, 157-170.
Evans, J.R. (1993) Photosynthetic acclimation and nitrogen partitioning
within a lucerne canopy. I. Canopy characteristics. Aust. J. Plant
Physiol. 20,55-67.
Evans, J.R. (1993) Photosynthetic acclimation and nitrogen partitioning
within a lucerne canopy. II. Stability through time and comparison
with a theoretical optimum. (P.L. Goldacre lecture). Aust. J.
Plant Physiol. 20,69-82.
Evans, J.R. (1996) Developmental constraints on photosynthesis:
effects of light and nutrition. In: (N.R. Baker, ed.) 'Photosynthesis
and the environment'. Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp 281-304.
Evans, JR and Poorter, H. (2001) Photosynthetic acclimation of
plants to growth irradiance: The relative importance of SLA and
nitrogen partitioning in maximising carbon gain. Plant Cell &
Environment 24:755-776.
Profiles of photosynthetic properties within leaves
Ögren, E. and Evans, J.R. (1993) Photosynthetic light response
curves. 1. The influence of CO2 partial pressure and leaf inversion.
Planta 189,182-90.
Evans, J.R. Jakobsen, I. and Ögren, E. (1993) Photosynthetic
light response curves. 2. Gradients of light absorption and photosynthetic
capacity. Planta 189,191-200.
Evans, J.R. (1995) Carbon fixation profiles do reflect light absorption
profiles in leaves. Aust J Plant Physiol 22, 865-873.
Evans JR (1999) Leaf anatomy enables more equal access to light
and CO2 between chloroplasts. New Phytologist 143:93-104
Vogelmann TC and Evans JR (2002) Profiles of light absorption
and chlorophyll within spinach leaves from chlorophyll fluorescence.
Plant Cell & Environment 25:1313-1323
Evans JR and Vogelmann TC (2003) Profiles of 14C fixation through
spinach leaves in relation to light absorption and photosynthetic
capacity. Plant Cell & Environment 26 : 547-560
Evans JR and Vogelmann TC. (2006) Photosynthesis within isobilateral Eucalyptus pauciflora leaves. New Phytologist 171:771-182
Effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 on growth and N fixation
by Acacias
Atkin OK, Schortemeyer M, McFarlane N and Evans JR (1998) Variation
in the components of relative growth rate in ten Acacia species
from contrasting environments. Plant Cell & Environment 21:1007-1017
(Cover photo)
Atkin, O.K., Schortemeyer, M., McFarlane, N. and Evans, J.R. (1999)
The response of fast- and slow-growing Acacia species to elevated
CO2: an analysis of the underlying components of relative growth
rate. Oecologia 120:544-554
Evans, J.R., Schortemeyer, M., McFarlane, N. and Atkin, O.K. (2000)
Photosynthetic characteristics of 10 Acacia species grown under
ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2. Aust J Plant Physiol. 27:13-25
Schortemeyer, M., Atkin, O.K., McFarlane, N. and Evans, J.R. (2002)
N2 fixation by Acacia species increases under elevated atmospheric
CO2. Plant Cell & Environment 25:567-579 (Cover photo)
Proteoid roots
Watt M and Evans JR (1999) Linking development and determinacy
with organic acid efflux from proteoid roots of Lupinus albus
L. grown with low phosphorus and ambient or elevated atmospheric
CO2 concentration. Plant Physiology 120:705-716
Watt, M. and Evans, J.R. (1999) Proteoid roots. Physiology and
development. Plant Physiology 121:317-323. (Update)
Watt M and Evans JR (2003) Phosphorus acquisition from soil by
white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.)- species
with contrasting root development. Plant & Soil 248:271-283.
Student Projects
1. Income versus lifespan: does photosynthesis compete with longevity for leaf nitrogen? Experimental work involves the use of sophisticated field portable gas exchange equipment and laboratory analyses of the leaf material.
2. Factors affecting CO2 diffusion within leaves. Experimental work will involve the combination of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence techniques with treatments to manipulate conductance.
Projects under these topics can be tailored for PhB students, Summer scholars and Honours students, following discussion with John Evans.
Go to Student Opportunities Page
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