Abstract
Vegetation in grasslands is changing at an unprecedented rate. In the Nebraska Sandhills, this shift is attributed in part to encroachment of the woody species Juniperus virginiana. We investigated changes in resource availability and their feedback on seasonal trends in photosynthetic characteristics of J. virginiana trees scattered in open grasslands vs. a dense 57-year-old stand. Dense stand exhibited lower volumetric soil water content, NH4 +, NO3 –, and δ13C, as well as foliage δ13C, δ15N, and N content, compared to grasslands. Water potential was higher in trees in grasslands compared to dense stand. J. virginiana in dense stand exhibited similar trends to trees in grasslands for net photosynthetic rate (P N), stomatal conductance, transpiration, maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, maximum carboxylation velocity, and maximum rate of electron transport. P N peaked early summer and declined in the fall, with trees in open grasslands lagging behind those in dense stand. Plasticity of this species may place it at a competitive advantage in the Sandhills, further altering grasslands vegetation and ecosystem processes.
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Abbreviations
- C:
-
carbon
- C i :
-
intercellular CO2 concentration
- D:
-
vapor pressure deficit between the leaf and air
- DBH:
-
diameter at breast height
- DOY:
-
day of year
- E :
-
transpiration
- F0 :
-
minimal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state
- Fm :
-
maximal fluorescent yield of the dark-adapted state
- Fv :
-
variable fluorescence
- Fv/Fm :
-
maximum quantum efficiency of PSII
- g s :
-
stomatal conductance
- J max :
-
rate of electron transport
- N:
-
nitrogen
- NNF:
-
Nebraska National Forest
- NPP:
-
net primary production
- P N :
-
net photosynthetic rate
- PNUE:
-
photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency
- TA :
-
temperature of the air
- TL :
-
temperature of the leaf
- V cmax :
-
maximum carboxylation velocity
- VSWC:
-
volumetric soil water content
- WUE:
-
water-use efficiency
- δ13C:
-
carbon isotope ratio
- δ15N:
-
nitrogen isotope ratio
- Ψpre :
-
predawn water potential
- Ψmid :
-
midday water potential
- Ψw :
-
water potential
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Acknowledgements: This study was supported by the McIntire Stennis Forest Research Funds–USDA, and the Agricultural Research Division at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). N. Bryan would like to acknowledge a fellowship from the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture (UNL). We appreciate the assistance of the High Plains Regional Climate Center at UNL for sharing their weather data, the Water Sciences Laboratory and Ecosystems Analysis Laboratory at UNL for conducting the laboratory analyses, and reviewers for their comments and suggestions on the manuscripts.
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Msanne, J., Awada, T., Bryan, N.M. et al. Ecophysiological responses of native invasive woody Juniperus virginiana L. to resource availability and stand characteristics in the semiarid grasslands of the Nebraska Sandhills. Photosynthetica 55, 219–230 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-016-0683-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-016-0683-y