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Photosynthetic responses to soil water stress in summer in two Japanese urban landscape tree species (Ginkgo biloba and Prunus yedoensis): effects of pruning mulch and irrigation management

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Abstract

Key message

Stomatal regulation involves beneficial effects of pruning mulch and irrigation on leaf photosynthesis in Prunus yedoensis and Ginkgo biloba under moderate drought. G. biloba showed conservative water use under drought.

Abstract

Leaf photosynthesis is highly sensitive to soil water stress via stomatal and/or biochemical responses, which markedly suppress the growth of landscape trees. Effective irrigation management to maintain leaf photosynthesis and information on species-specific photosynthetic responses to soil water stress are essential for the sustainable management of landscape trees in Japan, in which summer drought often occurs. In order to investigate effective irrigation management, we used plants with moderate soil water stress as controls, and examined the effects of daily irrigation and pruning mulch on leaf photosynthesis in container-grown Ginkgo biloba and Prunus yedoensis, which are the first and second main tall roadside trees in Japan. Stomatal conductance was significantly increased by pruning mulch and daily irrigation, with similar increases in leaf photosynthesis being observed in P. yedoensis and G. biloba. In order to obtain information on species-specific photosynthetic responses to soil water stress, we compared the responses of leaf photosynthesis and leaf water status to reductions in soil water content (SWC) between the two species. G. biloba maintained a constant leaf water potential, leaf water content, maximum carboxylation rate, and electron transport rate with reductions in SWC, whereas reductions were observed in P. yedoensis. We concluded that pruning mulch and irrigation effectively offset the negative impact of moderate water stress on leaf photosynthesis in summer in P. yedoensis and G. biloba via stomatal regulation, and also that G. biloba maintained its photosynthetic biochemistry and leaf water status better than P. yedoensis under severe water stress.

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Abbreviations

A sat :

Light-saturated CO2 assimilation rate

Δ:

Carbon isotope discrimination

g s :

Stomatal conductance

J :

CO2-saturated electron transport rate

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

RWC:

Relative leaf water content

SWC:

Soil water content

VPD:

Vapor pressure deficit

V cmax :

Maximum carboxylation rate

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, the Sumitomo Foundation (103230), Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-driven R&D (AS262Z01258N) and Discretionary expense of the President of Kyoto Institute of Technology. The leaf stable carbon isotope ratio was measured at the Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University. We appreciate Drs. Ichiro Tayasu and Riyo Hirasawa for supporting the isotope measurements. We thank Dr Jiro Tatsumi for supporting our research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan

    Yuichi Kagotani, Keisuke Nishida, Takashi Kiyomizu, Keisuke Sasaki & Yuko T. Hanba

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Atsushi Kume

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  1. Yuichi Kagotani
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Correspondence to Yuko T. Hanba.

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Communicated by T. Koike.

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Kagotani, Y., Nishida, K., Kiyomizu, T. et al. Photosynthetic responses to soil water stress in summer in two Japanese urban landscape tree species (Ginkgo biloba and Prunus yedoensis): effects of pruning mulch and irrigation management. Trees 30, 697–708 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1312-2

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