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Eco-physiological studies on the response of taxodiaceous conifers to shading with special reference to the behavior of leaf pigments

II. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in green leaves grown under different grades of shading

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Abstract

The effects of light intensity on the content and composition of leaf pigments, especially of carotenoids, were studied with mature current-year leaves of Taxodiaceous saplings grown under different grades of shade in summer. Both chlorophyll and total carotenoid contents increased with decreasing light intensity, maintaining approximately linear relations between each other, over a range of relative solar radiation of 100% to 7% of full daylight. The regression of total chlorophyll content on mean solar radiation could be well approximated by Shinozaki-Kira's reciprocal equation. The ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b was smaller in the shade than in the sun. The percentage of α-carotene and violaxanthin in the total carotenoid content tended to increase with increasing degree of shade, while those of β-carotene and lutein were reduced. The eco-physiological meanings of the pigments were considered based on this evidence. The order of shade tolerance among the four species tested is also discussed taking the responses of leaf weight and chlorophyll content to incident light intensity into consideration.

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  1. Biological Laboratory, Department of Natural Science, Osaka Women's University, Sakai, 591, Osaka

    Kazuko Ida

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  1. Kazuko Ida
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Ida, K. Eco-physiological studies on the response of taxodiaceous conifers to shading with special reference to the behavior of leaf pigments. Bot Mag Tokyo 94, 181–196 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02488609

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02488609

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