Responses of Rainforest Understorey Plants to Excess Light during Sunflecks

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny R. Watling ◽  
Sharon A. Robinson ◽  
Ian E. Woodrow ◽  
C. Barry Osmond

Responses of Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) G. Don, Castanospora alphandii (F. Muell.) F. Muell. and Alpinia hylandii R. Smith, growing in a tropical rainforest understorey, to excess light during sunflecks were investigated using chlorophyll fluorescence techniques and by analysing xanthophyll cycle activity. A fourth species, the pioneerOmalanthus novo-guineensis (Warb.) Schum., growing in a small gap, was also studied. In all three understorey species there were large and rapid decreases in the proportion of open Photosystem II (PSII) centres, as indicated by qP, on illumination with saturating light and a concurrent increase in non-photochemical quenching. qP remained low (< 0.4) throughout the period of illumination (~15 min), although it did increase gradually, probably reflecting photosynthetic induction. Sustained declines (up to 120 min) in quantum yield, indicated by Fv/Fm, occurred in all three understorey species following exposure to saturating Photon flux density (PFD) during sunflecks. When ?PSII was monitored during sunflecks it was found to be very sensitive to changes in PFD, declining rapidly with even modest rises in the latter. There was rapid and continuing net conversion of violaxanthin (V) to antheraxanthin plus zeaxanthin (A+Z) on exposure of A. macrorrhiza and C. alphandii to saturating sunflecks. On returning to low light A. macrorrhiza retained its high levels of A+Z for up to 60 min, while C. alphandii rapidly converted back to V. O. novo- guineensis responded to high light by changing its leaf angle to reduce interception and showed no indication of photoinhibition during or after exposure.

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis H. Greer

Shiraz vines grown outdoors with and without a crop load were used to determine photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence responses to light across a range of leaf temperatures to evaluate the impact of presence/absence of a sink on these responses. Results indicate maximum rates of photosynthesis and light saturation in fruiting vines were biased towards higher temperatures whereas these processes in vegetative vines were biased towards lower temperatures. The maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry was similarly biased, with higher efficiency for the vegetative vines below 30°C and a higher efficiency for the fruiting vines above. The quantum efficiency of PSII electron transport was generally higher across all temperatures in the fruiting compared with vegetative vines. Photochemical quenching was not sensitive to temperature in fruiting vines but strongly so in vegetative vines, with an optimum at 30°C and marked increases in photochemical quenching at other temperatures. Non-photochemical quenching was not strongly temperature dependent, but there were marked increases in both treatments at 45°C, consistent with marked decreases in assimilation. These results suggest demand for assimilates in fruiting vines induced an acclimation response to high summer temperatures to enhance assimilate supply and this was underpinned by comparable shifts in PSII photochemistry.


2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis H. Greer

The process of photosynthesis depends on the light, and is modulated by leaf temperature and their interaction is important to understand how climate affects photosynthesis. Photosynthetic and PSII light responses at a range of leaf temperatures were measured on leaves of apple (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Red Gala) trees growing in field conditions. The objective was to assess the interaction between photon flux density (PFD) and temperature on these processes. Results showed leaf temperature strongly modulated the PFD-dependent response of photosynthesis and PSII performance. An interaction on photosynthesis occurred, with temperature affecting saturated rates as well as PFDs saturating photosynthesis. The efficiency of PSII electron transport (operating and maximum in light) universally declined with increasing PFD but temperature strongly influenced the response. Rates of PSII electron transport at saturating PFDs were affected by temperatures. Both photochemical quenching and non-photochemical quenching also responded strongly to temperature but at high PFDs, photochemical quenching increased linearly with decreasing temperatures while non-photochemical quenching increased curvilinearly with increasing temperatures. Modelling revealed changes in photosynthesis were positively correlated with rates of electron transport. These results greatly enhance our understanding of photosynthesis and the underpinning processes and their responses to temperature and PFD.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Kaiser ◽  
Dirk Walther ◽  
Ute Armbruster

The capacity of photoautotrophs to fix carbon depends on the efficiency of the conversion of light energy into chemical potential by photosynthesis. In nature, light input into photosynthesis can change very rapidly and dramatically. To analyze how genetic variation in Arabidopsis thaliana affects photosynthesis and growth under dynamic light conditions, 36 randomly chosen natural accessions were grown under uniform and fluctuating light intensities. After 14 days of growth under uniform or fluctuating light regimes, maximum photosystem II quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm) was determined, photosystem II operating efficiency (ΦPSII) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) were measured in low light, and projected leaf area (PLA) as well as the number of visible leaves were estimated. Our data show that ΦPSII and PLA were decreased and NPQ was increased, while Fv/Fm and number of visible leaves were unaffected, in most accessions grown under fluctuating compared to uniform light. There were large changes between accessions for most of these parameters, which, however, were not correlated with genomic variation. Fast growing accessions under uniform light showed the largest growth reductions under fluctuating light, which correlated strongly with a reduction in ΦPSII, suggesting that, under fluctuating light, photosynthesis controls growth and not vice versa.


2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1728) ◽  
pp. 20160396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parisa Heydarizadeh ◽  
Wafâa Boureba ◽  
Morteza Zahedi ◽  
Bing Huang ◽  
Brigitte Moreau ◽  
...  

In this study, we investigated the responses of Phaeodactylum tricornutum cells acclimated to 300 µmol m −2 s −1 photon flux density to an increase (1000 µmol m −2 s −1 ) or decrease (30 µmol m −2 s −1 ) in photon flux densities. The light shift occurred abruptly after 5 days of growth and the acclimation to new conditions was followed during the next 6 days at the physiological and molecular levels. The molecular data reflect a rearrangement of carbon metabolism towards the production of phosphoenolpyruvic acid (PEP) and/or pyruvate. These intermediates were used differently by the cell as a function of the photon flux density: under low light, photosynthesis was depressed while respiration was increased. Under high light, lipids and proteins accumulated. Of great interest, under high light, the genes coding for the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and phenolic compounds were upregulated suggesting that the shikimate pathway was activated. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The peculiar carbon metabolism in diatoms’.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (22) ◽  
pp. 7382-7392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan Ching Foo ◽  
Alexandra J Burgess ◽  
Renata Retkute ◽  
Pracha Tree-Intong ◽  
Alexander V Ruban ◽  
...  

Abstract High light intensities raise photosynthetic and plant growth rates but can cause damage to the photosynthetic machinery. The likelihood and severity of deleterious effects are minimised by a set of photoprotective mechanisms, one key process being the controlled dissipation of energy from chlorophyll within PSII known as non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Although ubiquitous, the role of NPQ in plant productivity is important because it momentarily reduces the quantum efficiency of photosynthesis. Rice plants overexpressing and deficient in the gene encoding a central regulator of NPQ, the protein PsbS, were used to assess the effect of protective effectiveness of NPQ (pNPQ) at the canopy scale. Using a combination of three-dimensional reconstruction, modelling, chlorophyll fluorescence, and gas exchange, the influence of altered NPQ capacity on the distribution of pNPQ was explored. A higher phototolerance in the lower layers of a canopy was found, regardless of genotype, suggesting a mechanism for increased protection for leaves that experience relatively low light intensities interspersed with brief periods of high light. Relative to wild-type plants, psbS overexpressors have a reduced risk of photoinactivation and early growth advantage, demonstrating that manipulating photoprotective mechanisms can impact both subcellular mechanisms and whole-canopy function.


1978 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 723 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Doley

E. grandis seedlings grown under conditions of high (12.6) and low (2.8 Em-2 day-) daily integrals of photon flux density exhibited the same light response of photosynthesis when the rates were expressed on a unit leaf volume basis. The conversion of photosynthetic substrate to dry matter was more efficient in larger than in smaller plants. Allocation of dry matter between leaves, stem and roots was influenced relatively little by the shading treatments, but the utilization of dry matter by the leaves and stem was affected. Plants raised under low light exhibited significantly greater areas per unit weight of leaf, and significantly greater lengths per unit weight of stem than did plants raised in the high-light treatment. Adaptation to shading in E. grandis seedlings was judged to be limited. A model was constructed which described adequately the growth of these seedlings after the age of about 14 days.


1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
AT Slater ◽  
PR Franz ◽  
WK Thompson

A range of photoperiods were investigated to determine their effect on newer induction in Pimelea ciliata. Temperatures and photon flux densities were also investigated to determine their effect on modifying the response to photoperiod. Pimelea ciliata developed flowers on all plants after exposure to at least 4 weeks of an 8 h photo- and thermoperiod at a high photon flux density. As the time under the 8 h photo- and thermoperiod increased, the total number of flowers produced and the percentage of buds which were floral on each flowering plant increased. Plants gown under a 16 or 10 h photoperiod for up to 8 weeks did not produce any flowers. Under a 12 h photoperiod, only two plants out of 36 flowered, and they produced a low number of flowers. Under the conditions tested, temperature had no apparent effect on the number of plants which flowered or the number of flowers on each flowering plant. However, a vernalisation response may be increasing the rate of flowering. The flowering response was reduced when plants were grown under a low photon flux density. Few plants produced flowers, and the percentage of shoots that were floral was also reduced under low light.


2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 735-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rogéria Pereira de Souza ◽  
Rafael Vasconcelos Ribeiro ◽  
Eduardo Caruso Machado ◽  
Ricardo Ferraz de Oliveira ◽  
Joaquim Albenísio Gomes da Silveira

The aim of this study was to characterize gas exchange responses of young cashew plants to varying photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), temperature, vapor-pressure deficit (VPD), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), under controlled conditions. Daily courses of gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters were measured under natural conditions. Maximum CO2 assimilation rates, under optimal controlled conditions, were about 13 mmol m-2 s-1 , with light saturation around 1,000 mmol m-2 s-1. Leaf temperatures between 25ºC and 35ºC were optimal for photosynthesis. Stomata showed sensitivity to CO2, and a closing response with increasing Ci. Increasing VPD had a small effect on CO2 assimilation rates, with a small decrease above 2.5 kPa. Stomata, however, were strongly affected by VPD, exhibiting gradual closure above 1.5 kPa. The reduced stomatal conductances at high VPD were efficient in restricting water losses by transpiration, demonstrating the species adaptability to dry environments. Under natural irradiance, CO2 assimilation rates were saturated in early morning, following thereafter the PPFD changes. Transient Fv/Fm decreases were registered around 11h, indicating the occurrence of photoinhibition. Decreases of excitation capture efficiency, decreases of effective quantum yield of photosystem II, and increases in non-photochemical quenching were consistent with the occurrence of photoprotection under excessive irradiance levels.


2013 ◽  
Vol 295-298 ◽  
pp. 62-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Li ◽  
Yun Cheng Xie

To research influence of low light on macrophyte growth, seedlings of Vallisneria natans were transplanted into the waters with 5%, 1%, 0.5% and 0.1% full sunlights, respectively. The results show that germination rates are significantly inhibited with the experiment. In first 20 days leaf formation of new plants aren’t inhibited, and their leaf elongation are promoted. Since then, them of old plants and new plants are remarkably inhibited with the experiment. Though maximum photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm), relative electron transport rate (ETR) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of old plants reduce significantly on low light conditions, but V. natans still hsa a certain degree of photoasynthetic capacity on the 80th day. Fresh weight ratio of roots and stems increase with decreasing light intensity. However, it exhibits an opposite trend for leaves. Thus, V. natans has a strong ability of low-light (≤1% full sunlight) tolerance.


2001 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 1558-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Müller ◽  
Xiao-Ping Li ◽  
Krishna K. Niyogi

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