Two tropical species of North Australia, Acacia crassicarpa and Eucalyptus pellita, have similar leaf size and leaf structure but different leaf angles. A. crassicarpa with near vertical leaf angle directly reduced photon absorption and leaf temperature (Tl) and had relatively high photosynthetic activity (Pmax) and low xanthophyll cycle activity. In contrast, E. pellita with a small leaf angle exhibited high Tl, low Pmax, and high activity of xanthophyll cycle which was useful for the dissipation of excessive energy and reduction of photoinhibition. In the dry season, contents of soluble sugars including pinitol, sucrose, fructose, and glucose in A. crassicarpa increased whereas larger amounts of only fructose and glucose were accumulated in E. pellita. Different sugar accumulation may be involved in osmotic adjustment of leaves during water stress that makes photosynthesis more efficient. The leaf angle may be critical for developing different protective mechanisms in these two tropical tree species that ensure optimal growth in the high irradiance and drought stress environment in North Australia. and S.-M. Xu ... [et al.].
Seedlings planted on degraded lands experience high leaf temperature in daytime because of the lack of vegetation shading. The effect of high temperature on the photosynthetic capacity was investigated in Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. ex Miq. and D. chartaceus Sym. seedlings planted on degraded sandy soils in southern Thailand. Neither species showed decrease in photosynthetic capacity at leaf temperature over 38 °C as compared to that at 28 °C. D. obtusifolius showed higher photosynthetic capacity at high temperatures. Enhanced photosynthetic capacity at high temperatures would be a key for high photosynthetic performance of D. obtusifolius planted on degraded sandy soils. and M. Norisada, K. Kojima.
To elucidate whether dipterocarp species, dominant late-successional species of tropical forests in Southeast Asia, actually have a disadvantage when planted on open site in terms of their photosynthetic characteristics, we investigated photosynthesis in dipterocarp seedlings planted in the open on degraded sandy soils in southern Thailand. These species were compared with seedlings of Acacia mangium Willd., a fast-growing tropical leguminous tree, which is often planted on degraded open site in Southeast Asia. The dipterocarp seedlings had an irradiance-saturated net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), carboxylation efficiency, and photosynthetic capacity comparable to or superior to those of A. mangium. In particular, seedlings of Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. ex Miq. showed an irradian-ce-saturated PN of 21 µmol m-2 s-1, a value higher than any previously reported for a dipterocarp species, accompanied by high gs (0.7 mol m-2 s-1) and high photosynthetic capacity. Thus dipterocarp species do not necessarily have a disadvantage in terms of their photosynthetic characteristics on open sites with degraded sandy soils. and M. Norisada, K, Kojima.
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.].