Acta Physiologiae Plantarum

, Volume 34, Issue 6, pp 2057–2068 | Cite as

Associated growth of C3 and C4 desert plants helps the C3 species at the cost of the C4 species

  • Peixi Su
  • Qiaodi Yan
  • Tingting Xie
  • Zijuan Zhou
  • Song Gao
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

C3 desert plant Reaumuria soongorica (RS-C3) and C4 desert plant Salsola passerina (SP-C4) may exist either in individual or in associated communities. Carbon isotope composition, leaf water potential, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of the individual and associated communities were compared with reveal, whether the associated growth represent an advantage under harsh habitat. The results showed that the δ13C values of leaves of RS-C3 and SP-C4 across different habitats fluctuated, respectively, from −24 to −27 ‰ and from −14 to −16 ‰. Leaf water potential of RS-C3 was lower than SP-C4 all day long, growing either individually or associated with the C3 plant. When associated with the C4 plant, the net photosynthetic rate of the RS-C3 increased, and the photosynthetic rate of the partner SP-C4 decreased. The transpiration rates of the associated RS-C3 and SP-C4 were both lower than in their individual colonies. In associated communities, in RS-C3, the maximal photochemical efficiency, the effective photochemical efficiency, the relative electron transport rate, the photochemical quenching of PS II increased, and the non-photochemical quenching of PS II decreased; all these parameters changed oppositely in the SP-C4 plant. This shows that, in the associated community, the C4 plants might facilitate adaptation of the RS-C3, while SP-C4 plant can adapt to the harsh environment through their own specialties. The association favored the expression of natural photosynthetic characteristics and survival of RS-C3, while retarded the growth of SP-C4. Associated growth decreases the transpiration rate of the whole community; it is conducive to improve its water use efficiency.

Keywords

Reaumuria soongorica Salsola passerina Stable carbon isotope composition Leaf water potential Gas exchange Chlorophyll fluorescence Water use efficiency Interspecific relationship 

Abbreviations

ETR

Relative electron transport rate

Fv/Fm

Maximal photochemical efficiency

LWP

Leaf water potential (MPa)

Pn

Net photosynthetic rate (μmol CO2 m−2 s−1)

qN

Non-photochemical quenching

qP

Photochemical quenching

RS-C3

Reaumuria soongorica belong to C3 desert plant

SP-C4

Salsola passerina belong to C4 desert plant

Tr

Transpiration rate (mmol H2O m−2 s−1)

WUE

Water use efficiency (mmol CO2 mol−1 H2O)

Yield

Effective photochemical efficiency

δ13C

Stable carbon isotope ratio (‰)

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Notes

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the financial support by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (No. 91025026, 31070359). The authors also want to express thanks to the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments to the manuscript.

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Copyright information

© Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Peixi Su
    • 1
  • Qiaodi Yan
    • 1
    • 2
  • Tingting Xie
    • 1
    • 3
  • Zijuan Zhou
    • 1
  • Song Gao
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.Linze Inland River Basin Research StationLaboratory of Plant Stress Ecophysiology and Biotechnology, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of SciencesLanzhouChina
  2. 2.Institute of EcologyTaizhou UniversityLinhaiChina
  3. 3.Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Chinese Academy of SciencesLanzhouChina

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