Lichen carbon gain under tropical conditions : water relations and CO2 exchange of three Leptogium species of a lower montane rainforest in Panama

Flora ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 195 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otto L. Lange ◽  
Angelika Meyer ◽  
Hans Zellner ◽  
Bürkhard Budel ◽  
Gerhard Zotz
2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 329-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otto L. LANGE ◽  
Burkhard BÜDEL ◽  
Angelika MEYER ◽  
Hans ZELLNER ◽  
Gerhard ZOTZ

Diel (24-h) time courses of microclimate, water relations, and CO2 exchange were measured under quasi-natural conditions at a forest edge in a lower montane, tropical rainforest in Panama for six Lobariaceae (Lobaria crenulata, L. dissecta, Pseudocyphellaria aurata, P. intricata, Sticta sublimbata, S. weigelii). Responses to experimentally controlled water content (WC), photosynthetic photon fluence rate (PPFR), and temperature were studied in most detail with P. aurata.Photosynthesis was well adapted to high temperatures, and all species exhibited ‘shade plant’ characteristics with low light compensation points and low light saturation. Lobaria and Pseudocyphellaria species suffered from a strong depression of net photosynthesis (NP) at suprasaturating WC; suprasaturation depression was less in cyphellate Sticta species.Photosynthetic capacity correlated with thallus nitrogen concentration, and maximal NP rates of the cyanobacterial Sticta species was 4 to 5 times higher than that of the green algal Lobaria species. However, high rates of NP were uncommon and brief events under natural conditions; the different environmental factors were rarely optimal simultaneously. Similar to earlier observations with other rainforest lichens, NP ceased during the period of highest irradiation on most days due to desiccation. During moist periods low light often limited carbon fixation, and high thallus hydration was often detrimental to NP. In spite of these limitations the maximal daily integrated net photosynthetic carbon income (ΣNP) was quite high especially for the Sticta species [17·3 and 24·1 mgC (gC)−1 day−1 for S. sublimbata and S. weigelii, respectively]. High nocturnal carbon loss, due to high night temperatures and continuous hydration, resulted in frequent negative diel carbon balances (ΣC) in all species. The average nocturnal carbon loss amounted to 83 and 70% ΣNP for P. aurata and P. intricata, respectively and to 64 and 59% of ΣNP for S. sublimbata and S. weigelii, respectively. Their average diel ΣC was as high as 3·7 and 5·3 mgC (gC)−1 day−1. In contrast, ΣC was much lower for the other species, it amounted to only 0·18 mgC (gC)−1 day−1 for L. crenulata. Thus, the Sticta species stood out amongst the species studied for their most successful adaptation of photosynthetic productivity to the habitat conditions in the lower montane rainforest.


1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. O. Teskey ◽  
C. C. Grier ◽  
T. M. Hinckley

Seasonal changes in water relations and net photosynthesis were measured over a year in current and 1-year-old foliage of Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forbes, a subalpine conifer. Responses were compared with maximum rates achieved in older foliage. Current-year foliage developed slowly during the growing season. Although growth began on 22 June, highest rates of stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis did not occur until September and October. One-year-old foliage had the highest rates of net photosynthesis (12.9 mg CO2•dm−2•h−1) and stomatal conductance (3.1 mm•s−1) during the summer. Net photosynthesis decreased with needle age, but foliage as old as 7 years had rates of net photosynthesis as high as 5.0 mg CO2•dm−2•h−1. There was no evidence of photosynthetic adjustment to seasonal change in temperature. The optimum temperature for photosynthesis remained at 15 ± 1.5 °C throughout the year. No water stress was observed during the summer. Xylem water potential never decreased below −1.65 MPa and was always well above the turgor loss point. The lack of any apparent water stress, combined with photosynthetic characteristics, indicated that summer was the most important season for carbon gain. These results also suggested that a strategy for competitive success by Abiesamabilis in this cold, stressful environment is minimum dependence on the carbon gain of any individual age-class of foliage. Instead trees rely on the combined photosynthetic capacity of many years of foliage.


1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jiao ◽  
M. J. Tsujita ◽  
B. Grodzinski

At three stages of flowering shoot development, varying the irradiance and CO2 levels had a similar effect on the whole-plant net CO2 exchange rate (NCER) of Samantha rose plants. At 22 °C, the NCER was saturated at 1000 μmol m−2 s−1 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). The duration of the light period was also important in determining daily carbon (C) gain. When roses were exposed to a constant daily radiant energy dose of 17.6 μmol m−2 provided either as a 12-h irradiation interval at 410 μmol m−2 s−1 PAR or 24 h of irradiation at 204 μmol m−2 s−1 PAR, the plants exposed to 24 h of continuous irradiation at the lower photon flux density retained 80% more C. Under saturating irradiance, the net photosynthetic rate at an enriched (1000 μL L−1) CO2 level was almost double that at ambient (350 μL L−1) CO2. However, plants grown at ambient and enriched CO2 levels had similar whole-plant NCERs when compared at the same assay CO2 level. Under CO2 enrichment the flower stem was longer and thicker but the flower bud size at harvest was not significantly different to that of roses grown at the ambient CO2 level. Key words: CO2 enrichment, daily carbon gain, net CO2 exchange rate, radiation, Rosa hybrida


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhuanito Soranz Ferrarezi ◽  
Marc W. Van Iersel ◽  
Roberto Testezlaf

The objectives of this work were to evaluate the effects of distinct moisture contents to trigger subirrigation on salvia photosynthesis and plant growth, and to verify the feasibility of subirrigation use in water stress imposition research in this crop. We evaluated two substrate volumetric water contents (VWC) as treatments (0.2 and 0.4 m3 m-3) to trigger subirrigation, with 4 replications. Each replication was composed of 10 plants. An automated semi-continuous multi-chamber crop CO2-exchange system was used, with capacitance soil moisture sensors for continuous moisture monitoring. Manual subirrigation with nutrient solution was performed when VWC dropped below the thresholds. In both treatments, the values of net photosynthesis, daily carbon gain and carbon use efficiency reduced over time, from 2 to 1.1 μmol s-1 from 2.2 to 1 μmol d-1 from 0.7 to 0.45 mol mol-1, respectively, in both soil moisture treatments. Total shoot dry mass (p=0.0129), shoot height in the tip of the highest flower (p<0.0001) and total leaf area (p=0.0007) were statistically higher at 0.4 m3 m-3 treatment. The subirrigation system was not efficient to impose water stress, due to excessive variation on VWC values after each irrigation event in both treatments. Higher soil moisture promoted positive plant growth responses in salvia cultivated by subirrigation.


1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 726-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato Gerdol ◽  
Angelo Bonora ◽  
Rita Gualandri ◽  
Simonetta Pancaldi

Sphagnum mosses of three different species (S. capillifolium, S. magellanicum, and S. fallax) were allowed to dry in a controlled environment. The three species lost water at different rates, but after 11 days of exposure to drying atmosphere all were dry and unable to photosynthesize. The chlorophyllose cells of all three species showed signs of alteration, mainly membrane shrinkage. Upon rehydration, concentrations of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a to a greater extent than chlorophyll b) declined in tissues of S. magellanicum and especially in S. fallax. Sphagnum capillifolium and S. magellanicum resumed photosynthesis, although slowly, whereas S. fallax did not achieve a net carbon gain (most of its chlorophyllose cells were irreversibly damaged) after 7 days of rewetting. In the field, prolonged drought may alter the interspecific equilibria among coexisting Sphagnum species possessing different degrees of desiccation-tolerance and especially different water-holding abilities. Keywords: Sphagnum, photosynthesis, ultrastructure, photosynthetic pigments, dehydration, rehydration.


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