We found differences between true leaves (TL) and phyllodes (Ph) during ontogeny of Acacia mangium plants as reflected in chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoid contents, gas exchange, Chl fluorescence, and growth. The production of TL enhanced the relative growth rate of the A. mangium seedlings, allowing the plants to accumulate enough dry biomass for later growth, while the production of thicker Ph in the later growth stage of A. mangium could help plants to cope with higher irradiance in their natural growth conditions. and H. Yu, J.-T. Li.
Within each mango (Mangifera indica L.) tree there is a diversity in flowering ability among its terminál branches. Significant variations in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate, stomatal conductance (gj) and mesophyll efficiency (mesophyll capacity to fix CO2) were observed generally among the productive branches. However, the extent of variation was more pronounced in trees with irregular bearing habits (cv. Langra) as compared to regular bearers (cv. Romani). In generál, correlation coefficients indicated that variations in among n5 branches were mainly due to the mesophyll efficiency and g^, In regular bearing trees, the narrow range of variation in was related to a better mesophyll capacity. This in tum might result in higher carbon build-up of 05 branches which would háve helped them to flower regularly with minimum branch to branch variations.
In a controlled experiment, Salix matsudana cuttings were subjected to three atmospheric temperatures (i.e. control, 0.5 and 1.0 °C above the control, respectively) to explore their short-term plastic responses to simulated atmospheric temperature rise. Warming affected significantly net photosynthetic and transpiration rates, but had no significant impacts on water use efficiency, ratio of sub-stomatal to atmospheric CO2 concentration, maximum quantum yield, water saturation deficit, tissue density, and water loss. Leaf natality and leaf mortality were affected significantly by increasing atmospheric temperature. Total plant biomass, leaf mass ratio, root mass ratio, and canopy productivity index exhibited significant responses to the warming treatments, but obvious differences in the changing details did appear among the four traits. Hence: (1) S. matsudana cuttings were sensitive to small-range atmospheric temperature increases such as 0.5-1.0 °C, which can alter growth and allocation through modifying photosynthetic rate and leaf turnover. (2) Short-term physiological acclimation did not occur in young individuals of S. matsudana. (3) The warming depressed growth of young individuals of S. matsudana to various extents. and W. M. He, M. Dong.
Two populations, one from lesser saline Derawar Fort (DF) and the other from highly saline Ladam Sir (LS) in the Cholistan desert, for each of the five grass species, Aeluropus lagopoides, Cymbopogon jwarancusa, Lasiurus scindicus, Ochthochloa compressa, and Sporobolus ioclados were examined to investigate the influence of salinity on structural and functional characteristics of stomata. Salinity tolerance in A. lagopoides mainly depended on controlled transpiration rate (E) and high water-use efficiency (WUE), which was found to be regulated by fewer and smaller stomata on both leaf surfaces as well as stomatal encryption by epidermal invaginations. C. jwarancusa had sunken stomata on the abaxial surface only, which largely reflected a reduced E, but less affected stomatal conductance (gs) or WUE. L. scindicus had fewer but larger stomata along with hairs/trichomes which may function to avoid water loss through transpiration, and hence, to attain a high WUE. In O. compressa stomata were found only on the abaxial surface and these were completely encrypted by epidermal invaginations as well as a dense covering of microhairs, which was associated with a low E and high WUE under salinity stress. In S. ioclados, the traits of increased stomatal density and decreased stomatal area may be critical for stomatal regulation under salt-prone environments. High stomatal regulation depended largely on stomatal density, area, and degree of encryption under salinity, which is of great ecophysiological significance for plants growing under osmotic stresses. and N. Naz ... [et al.].
Groups of Actinidia deliciosa A. Chev. C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa kiwifruit plants were subjected to soil water shortage (D), while other groups were well irrigated (I). Variations in chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence indices and leaf gas exchange were determined once plants were severely stressed (25 d after the beginning of the D-cycle). Daily maximum values of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) were ca. 1 650 µmol(photon) m-2 s-1, while air temperatures peaked at 34.6 °C. High irradiance per se did not greatly affect the efficiency of photosystem (PS) 2, but predisposed its synergistic reduction by D co-occurrence. Fluorescence showed transient photodamage of PS2 with a complete recovery in the afternoon in both D and I plants. Upon re-watering the efficiency of PS2 was suboptimal (95 %) at day 2 after irrigation was reinitiated. At early morning of the day 5 of re-watering, photosynthesis and stomatal conductance recovered at about 95 and 80 % of I vines, respectively, indicating some after-stress effect on stomatal aperture. Once excessive photons reached PS2, the thermal dissipation of surplus excitation energy was the main strategy to save the photosynthetic apparatus and to optimize carbon fixation. The rather prompt recovery of both Chl a fluorescence indices and net photosynthetic rate during re-watering indicated that kiwifruit photosynthetic apparatus is prepared to cope with temporary water shortage under Mediterranean-type-climates. and G. Montanaro, B. Dichio, C. Xiloyannis.
Morphology, biomass accumulation and allocation, gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence were compared for one-year-old seedlings of Salix psammophila and Artemisia ordosica, two dominant desert species, in response to two water supplies (equivalent to 315.0 mm for present precipitation in growing season and to 157.5 mm for future decreasing precipitation) during 105 d. For both species, photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 (Fv/Fm), net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, biomass accumulation in different organs, tree height, number of leaves, and leaf area were reduced in response to the decrease in water supply. For both species, instantaneous water use efficiency was not affected by the water deficit. However, diurnal patterns of gas exchange and biomass allocation were affected in different ways for the two species, with notably a decrease in specific leaf area and an increase in root : shoot ratio for S. psammophila only. Overall, S. psammophila was more responsive to the decreasing precipitation than A. ordosica. and C. W. Xiao ... [et al.].
The tested tree species included pioneer species Acacia mangium, early succession stage species Schima superba, mesophyte intermediate-succession species Machilus chinensis, and shade-tolerant plant or late-succession species Cryptocarya concinna which occur in the lower subtropical forest community. A comparison with the current ambient level of UV-B radiation (UV-B) showed the leaf net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), and stomatal conductance (g s) of the four species ranged from significantly decreased to no significant change. Additionally, the thickness of palisade and mesophyll in leaves of four tree species were decreased sharply by enhanced UV-B. The thickness of spongy parenchyma in leaves was also decreased except for M. chinensis. UV-B increased the leaf width of A. mangium but its leaf length, leaf thickness, and dry mass per unit area were not affected. Significantly increased stomata width was observed in A. mangium leaf epidermis in response to UV-B. Significantly decreased stomata width and significantly increased stomata density of leaf abaxial epidermis in M. chinensis were also observed. The stomata density of abaxial epidermis of C. concinna was remarkably increased by enhanced UV-B. The height and branch biomass of A. mangium and the height of S. superba were reduced visibly by enhanced UV-B. The four plant species could be classified into three groups of UV-B sensitiveness by hierarchical cluster analysis. A. mangium was sensitive to enhanced UV-B, while C. concinna showed more tolerance. and X. A. Cai ... [et al.].
The effect of high irradiance (HI) during desiccation and subsequent rehydration of the homoiochlorophyllous desiccation-tolerant shade plant Haberlea rhodopensis was investigated. Plants were irradiated with a high quantum fluence rate (HI; 350 µmol m-2 s-1 compared to ca. 30 µmol m-2 s-1 at the natural rock habitat below trees) and subjected either to fast desiccation (tufts dehydrated with naturally occurring thin soil layers) or slow desiccation (tufts planted in pots in peat-soil dehydrated by withholding irrigation). Leaf water content was 5 % of the control after 4 d of fast and 19 d of slow desiccation. Haberlea was very sensitive to HI under all conditions. After 19 d at HI, even in well-watered plants there was a strong reduction of rates of net photosynthesis and transpiration, contents of chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoids, as well as photosystem 2 activity (detected by the Chl fluorescence ratio RFd). Simultaneously, the blue/red and green/red fluorescence ratios increased considerably suggesting increased synthesis of polyphenolic compounds. Desiccation of plants in HI induced irreversible changes in the photosynthetic apparatus and leaves did not recover after rehydration regardless of fast or slow desiccation. Only young leaves survived desiccation. and K. Georgieva, S. Lenk, C. Buschmann.
Chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics, net photosynthetic rate (PN), water relations, and photosynthetic pigment contents were studied during acclimation of in vitro grown tobacco to higher irradiance (HL; 700 μmol m-2 s-1). Plantlets were grown on medium containing sucrose in glass vessels (G-plants) or in Magenta boxes (M-plants) with better CO2 supply in the latter ones. The effect of HL was studied either (1) in plantlets grown under original in vitro conditions (closed vessels), (2) in in vitro plantlets exposed to ambient CO2 concentration (covers removed), or (3) in plantlets transplanted to ex vitro into pots with sand and nutrient solution. Higher PN, and fraction of closed photosystem 2 (PS2) centres (1 - qP), and lower content of xanthophyll cycle pigments were found in M-plants compared to G-plants. HL treatment caused photoinhibition particularly in plants kept in closed vessels. This was indicated by the decrease in the ratio of Fv/Fm and by the increase in non-photochemical quenching, 1 - qp, and content of xanthophyll cycle pigments. Better CO2 supply ensured by the removal of closure lead to the moderate reduction of symptoms of photoinhibition, although stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (E), and PN were negatively affected. The main reason was the decrease in relative air humidity, which caused similar reduction of PN, E, and gs after the transfer of plantlets to ex vitro. Nevertheless, plant response to HL seemed not to be affected by any possible root injury caused by transfer to ex vitro. The differences in contents of xanthophyll cycle pigments, degree of de-epoxidation, PN, and quenching parameters between M- and G-plantlets were still significant 7 d after ex vitro transfer and HL acclimation. and Š. Semorádová, H. Synková, J. Pospíšilová.
In the frame of the foreseen climate global changes we analysed the physiological responses of Arbutus unedo L. to the variations of carbon dioxide concentration, leaf temperature, and irradiance by measurements of leaf gas exchange and leaf water potential performed both in field and in the laboratory. Stomatal conductance was not affected by increase of leaf temperature. The growth conditions of potted plants likely made stomata more sensitive to the variation of external parameters than naturally growing plants. The interaction between high CO2 concentration and temperature involved important down-regulation mechanisms in the metabolic pathway of the carbon fixation. From an ecological point of view, the ability of A. unedo to adapt to the field stress makes it highly competitive in the Mediterranean plant community. and M. Vitale, F. Manes.