Net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), leaf water potential (ψleaf), leaf nitrogen content, and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) were compared between a typical C4 plant, Agriophyllum squarrosum and a C3 plant, Leymus chinensis, in Hunshandak Sandland, China. The plant species showed different diurnal gas exchange patterns on June 12-14 when photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), air temperature (Tair), and water potential were moderate. PN, E, and
gs of A. squarrosum showed distinct single peak while those of L. chinensis were depressed at noon and had two peaks in their diurnal courses. Gas exchange traits of both species showed midday depression under higher photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and T air when Ψleaf was significantly low down on August 6-8. However, those of A. squarrosum were depressed less seriously. Moreover, A. squarrosum had higher PN, Ψleaf, water use efficiency (WUE), and PNUE than L. chinensis. Thus A. squarrosum was much more tolerant to heat and high irradiance and could utilise the resources on sand area more efficiently than L. chinensis. Hence species like A. squarrosum may be introduced and protected to reconstruct the degraded sand dunes because of their higher tolerance to stress and higher resource use efficiency. and S. L. Niu ... [et al.].
Only three tree species, i.e. Ulmus pumila, Malus baccata, and Prunus padus, are distributed in Hunshandak Sandland (HS) in Inner Mongolia, China. Field studies of gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence of these three tree species were conducted in three arid periods of growth season 2002. Net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), and Fv/Fm of U. pumila were higher than in M. baccata and P. padus, especially in the midday. Hence M. baccata and P. padus were more sensitive to high temperature and irradiance than U. pumila in HS. This may be a reason for wide distribution of U. pumila in HS. M. baccata and P. padus are adapted to the back slope of fixed dune, because the micro-habitat is relatively cool and less irradiated than the slope facing sun. Water use efficiency (WUE) of U. pumila was lower than that of M. baccata and P. padus, and thus U. pumila does not form forests in this region, because the soil is dry. and Y. G. Li ... [et al.].
Gas exchange, photochemical efficiency, and leaf water potential (Ψl) of Salix matsudana (non-indigenous species), S. microstachya and S. gordejevii (indigenous species) were studied in Hunshandak Sandland, China. Ψl of all the three species decreased from 06:00 to 12:00, and increased afterwards. S. matsudana showed higher values of Ψl than others. Net photosynthetic rate (PN) and stomatal conductance (gs) of S. matsudana were the lowest among all, with the maximum PN at 10:00 being 75% of that of S. gordejevii. Compared with the indigenous species, the non-indigenous S. matsudana had also lower transpiration rate (E) and water use efficiency (WUE). The values of Fv/Fm in all the species were lower from 06:00 to 14:00 than those after 14:00, indicating an obvious depression in photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 in both non-indigenous and native species. However, it was much more depressed in S. matsudana, the non-indigenous tree. PN was positively correlated to gs and negatively related to Ψl. The relationship between gs and vapour pressure difference (VPD) was exponential, while negative linear correlation was found between gs and Ψl. and M. Z. Liu ... [et al.].