We investigated the physiological and biochemical differences in Pterocarpus indicus and Erythrina orientalis grown in four sites at different pollution levels in the Philippines: Makati, Pasig and Quezon (high pollution levels; HP) located in Metro Manila, and La Mesa Watershed (a non-polluted area; NP). Among these four areas, HP sites had higher net photosynthetic rates (PN) than NP sites, except for Makati. Among HP sites, Makati and Quezon had the lowest PN for P. indicus and E. orientalis, respectively. Chlorophyll (Chl) contents were significantly lower in HP than in NP sites. Trees in Makati had the lowest Chl contents among HP sites, and P. indicus had higher Chl contents than did E. orientalis. In addition, the chloroplasts in HP trees had small starch grains with numerous dark, large plastoglobuli. Furthermore, antioxidant enzymes, indicative of the defense mechanism, showed a significantly higher activity in HP than in NP trees. and S. G. Baek, S. Y. Woo.
We examined the physiological and biochemical responses of two halophytic grasses with different photosynthetic pathways, Puccinellia tenuiflora (C3) and Chloris virgata (C4), to saline-alkaline stresses. Plants were grown at different Na2CO3 concentrations (from 0 to 200 mM). Low Na2CO3 (< 12.5 mM) enhanced seed germination and plant growth, whereas high Na2CO3 concentrations (> 100 mM) reduced seed germination by 45% in P. tenuiflora and by 30% in C. virgata. Compared to C. virgata, P. tenuiflora showed lower net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, and water-use efficiency under the same treatment. C. virgata exhibited also relatively higher ATP content, K+ concentration, and the K+/Na+ ratio under the stress treatments implying that salt tolerance may be the main mechanism for salt resistance in this species. Our results demonstrated that the C. virgata was relatively more resistant to saline-alkaline stress than the co-occurring P. tenuiflora; both two species adapt to their native saline-alkaline habitat by different physiological mechanisms., C. Y. Guo, X. Z. Wang, L. Chen, L. N. Ma, R. Z. Wang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Morphological and physiological traits of Crepis pygmaea L. subsp. pygmaea and Isatis apennina Ten. ex Grande growing at different altitudes in the Gran Sasso Massif (Abruzzo, Italy) were analyzed. The two populations of C. pygmaea and I. apennina growing at the highest altitude (Cp2 and Ip2 at 2,310 m a.s.l. and 2,350 m a.s.l., respectively) had a lower leaf mass area (LMA) than the two populations growing at the lowest altitude (Cp1 and Ip1 at 2,250 m a.s.l. and 2,310 m a.s.l., respectively). Leaf tissue density (LTD) had the same LMA trend, decreasing 23 and 10% in C. pygmaea and I. apennina, respectively, from the highest to the lowest altitude. C. pygmaea and I. apennina had the highest photosynthetic rates
(PN) in July decreasing on an average 17 and 30%, respectively, in August and 50 and 38%, respectively, in September. Leaf respiration (R) in Ip1 and Ip2 had the same trend as Cp1 and Cp2, showing the highest rates in September. Global warming could drive C. pygmaea and I. apennina toward higher altitudes in the Gran Sasso Massif. Nevertheless, C. pygmaea with the higher plasticity index (PI) both at physiological and at morphological levels (0.50 and 0.35, respectively) might have a competitive advantage over I. apennina over the long term., L. Gratani ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
a1_The study of plant responses to environmental stress factors is essential for management of plant systems and for anticipating their response to climate change. The main goal of this study was to determine morphological and physiological responses of Nothofagus obliqua and N. nervosa seedlings to light and temperature, two of the main stress factors acting in their current natural distribution in NW Patagonia. Responses to light were evaluated analyzing growth and survival, as well as morphological and physiological traits related to them, in seedlings subjected to three contrasting light conditions (full-sun conditions, 50% of sunlight and 20% of sunlight) during one growth season. Temperature photosynthetic responses were evaluated in seedlings subjected to temperature treatments between -5 and 40°C for 2 and 4 h. Growth rate and biomass partition were similar between light treatments in both species. High apical meristem damage and decreased photosynthetic capacity of preformed leaves were observed under full-sun conditions, suggesting that high light levels have a deleterious effect on plant yield. Both species produced neoformed leaves during the growing season with better photosynthetic capacity than preformed leaves under full sun conditions, contributing to plant acclimation. Almost no plasticity was observed in morphological traits in response to shade. Both species differed in optimum temperature for photosynthesis, with a wider temperature range at which high photosynthesis is maintained in N. obliqua. In both species the higher values of net photosynthetic rate were found at higher temperatures than the mean annual temperature of its current natural distribution range., a2_Under no water-stress conditions, future higher temperatures could increase carbon fixation of these species, with a little advantage of N. obliqua if temperature variance is high. Synergy effect of various environmental stress factors, particularly considering cultivation of these species outside their current natural distribution sites require further studies., S. A. Varela ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Water stress is a major abiotic constraint leading to serious crop losses. Recently, in the Mediterranean region, water stress has become markedly sensed, especially in Citrus orchards. This study investigated the physiological responses of local sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) clones to severe water stress. Water stress was applied by withholding irrigation during weeks, followed by a rewatering phase during three months. Under water stress, sour orange clones decreased their stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate. On the contrary, biomass was stable, especially in the Kliaa clone. In addition, reduced leaf water potentials (-3 MPa) and water contents were measured in most of the clones, except Kliaa which kept the highest water potential (-2.5 MPa). After rewatering, all clones recovered except of the Ghars Mrad (GM) clone. Ultrastructural observations of leaf sections by transmission electron microscopy did not reveal marked alterations in the mesophyll cells and chloroplast structure of Kliaa in comparison to the sensitive clone GM, in which palisade parenchyma cells and chloroplasts were disorganized. This contrasting behavior was mainly attributed to genetic differences as attested by molecular analysis. This study highlighted GM as the drought-sensitive clone and Kliaa as the tolerant clone able to develop an avoidance strategy based on an efficient stomatal regulation. Although a high percentage of polyembryony characterizes C. aurantium and justifies its multiplication by seeds, heterogeneous water-stress responses could be observed within sour orange plants in young orchards., A. Ben Salem-Fnayou, I. Belghith, M. Lamine, A. Mliki, A. Ghorbel., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Significant differences in net photosynthetic rate (PN) of leaves between two maize (Zea mays L.) strains (Shuang 105 and 40×44) grown in the field were observed. At several growth stages, PN of 40×44 was higher than that of Shuang 105 (from 10.3 to 32.5 %). Moreover, the strain 40×44 had a higher plant height, larger leaf area, lower chlorophyll content, and higher photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 (PS2) (Fv/Fm and ΔF/Fm') than strain Shuang 105. Shuang 105, which showed lower PN, had lower stomatal conductances (gs) but slightly higher intercellular CO2 concentrations (Ci) than those of 40×44. Hence the differences in
PN between the two strains did not result from the difference in gs, but probably from that in light reaction system. and Hua Jiang, Da-Quan Xu.
This study aimed to determine the effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria Bacillus subtilis JS on the growth and physiological changes of Populus euramericana and Populus deltoides x P. nigra. Poplar seedlings were treated with B. subtilis JS and their growth was monitored for up to 120 d. Three different types of treatments [control, B1 (B. subtilis:double-distilled water, 1:100, v/v), and B2 (1:50)] were established. B. subtilis JS enhanced seedling height by 62% and total biomass by 37% after 120 d. Physiologically, the photosynthetic rate increased by 54%, and the total chlorophyll (Chl) content, foliage nitrogen and phosphate content were significantly higher after treatment with B2 than that of the control. These results suggest that the total Chl content is directly related to not only the photosynthetic capacity of the foliage but also to the nitrogen content, indicating that the strain JS may promote the growth of poplar., J. H. Jang, S.-H. Kim, I. Khaine, M. J. Kwak, H. K. Lee, T. Y. Lee, W. Y. Lee, S. Y. Woo., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Glaucium flavum is a biennial plant that bears a rosette of leaves, producing a flower stalk, bracteate monochasium, in its second year. The aims of this work were both to investigate the contribution of bracts to gas-exchange activities in this species and to compare this contribution to that of rosette leaves. In addition, we investigated the extent to which its responses can be explained by chloroplast ultrastructure, as well as the possible role of nutrient concentrations in the physiological responses of both leaf types. Gas exchange and plant characteristics regarding chlorophyll fluorescence were examined in a field experiment; we also determined leaf relative water content, tissue concentrations of photosynthetic pigments, chloroplast ultrastructure and nutrient contents. Although bracts indeed contributed to gas-exchange activities of G. flavum, rosette leaves showed higher values of net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance to CO2 for photosynthetic photon flux density above 200 μmol m-2 s-1. The incongruities in photosynthetic rates between bracts and leaves may be explained by the bigger chloroplasts of rosette leaves, which results in a larger membrane surface area. This agrees with the higher pigment concentrations and quantum efficiency of photosystem II values recorded as well for rosette leaves. On the other hand, bracts showed higher sodium concentrations, which could be a mechanism for salt tolerance of G. flavum. and S. Redondo-Gómez, E. Mateos-Naranjo, F. J. Moreno.
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.
The inter-and intra-specific physiological differences, e.g. rates of net photosynthesis (PN) and transpiration (E), stomatal conductance (gs), and water use efficiency (WUE), were compared between two grasses, Calamagrostis epigeios (L.) Roth. and Psammochloa villosa (Trin.) Bor., and between their leaf types in a desertification steppe in North China. The two species had a similar habitat, but differed in leaf area and rhizome depth. Leaf PN, E, and g s for P. villosa were significantly greater than those for C. epigeios in the growing season, but WUE for the former species was only 50 and 80 % of that for the latter one in dry and rainy seasons, respectively. In general, leaf PN, E, g s, and WUE for both vegetative and reproductive shoots of the two species exhibited little variations between leaf types or with leaf age, even though there were some remarkable differences between dry and rainy seasons. The mean leaf PN and E in reproductive shoots of P. villosa were significantly lower than those in its vegetative shoots in rainy season, while these differences were much smaller for those of C. epigeios. P. villosa with deeper rhizome roots has relative higher leaf PN, E, and g s, but a smaller WUE in the arid desertification steppe region.