The short-term acclimation (10-d) of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst] to elevated CO2 concentration (EC) in combination with low irradiance (100 μmol m-2 s-1) resulted in stimulation of CO2 assimilation (by 61 %), increased total chlorophyll (Chl) content (by 17 %), significantly higher photosystem 2 (PS2) photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm; by 4 %), and reduced demand on non-radiative dissipation of absorbed excitation energy corresponding with enhanced capacity of photon utilisation within PS2. On the other hand, at high cultivation irradiance (1 200 μmol m-2 s-1) both Norway spruce and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Akcent) responded to EC by reduced photosynthetic capacity and prolonged inhibition of Fv/Fm accompanied with enhanced non-radiative dissipation of absorbed photon energy. Norway spruce needles revealed the expressive retention of zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin (Z+A) in darkness and higher violaxanthin (V) convertibility (yielding even 95 %) under all cultivation regimes in comparison with barley plants. In addition, the non-photochemical quenching of minimum Chl a fluorescence (SV0), expressing the extent of non-radiative dissipation of absorbed photon energy within light-harvesting complexes (LHCs), linearly correlated with V conversion to Z+A very well in spruce, but not in barley plants. Finally, a key role of the Z+A-mediated non-radiative dissipation within LHCs in acclimation of spruce photosynthetic apparatus to high irradiance alone and in combination with EC was documented by extremely high SV0 values, fast induction of non-radiative dissipation of absorbed photon energy, and its stability in darkness. and I. Kurasová ... [et al.].