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Photosynthesis and photoinhibition in two xerophytic shrubs during drought

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Seasonal changes in water relations, net photosynthetic rate (P N), and fluorescence of chlorophyll (Chl) a of two perennial C3 deciduous shrubs, Ipomoea carnea and Jatropha gossypifolia, growing in a thorn scrub in Venezuela were studied in order to establish the possible occurrence of photoinhibition during dry season and determine whether changes in photochemical activity of photosystem 2 (PS2) may explain variations of P N in these species. Leaf water potential (ψ) decreased from −0.2 to −2.1 MPa during drought in both species. The P N decreased with ψ in I. carnea and J. gossypifolia by 64 and 74 %, respectively. Carboxylation efficiency (CE) decreased by more than 50 and 70 % in I. carnea and J. gossypifolia, respectively. In I. carnea, relative stomatal limitation (Ls) increased by 17 % and mesophyll limitation (Lm) by 65 % during drought, while in J. gossypifolia Ls decreased by 27 % and Lm increased by 51 %. Drought caused a reduction in quantum yield of PS2 (ϕPS2) in both species. Drought affected the capacity of energy dissipation of leaves, judging from the changes in the photochemical (qP) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) coefficients. Photoinhibition during drought in I. carnea and J. gossypifolia was evidenced in the field by a drop in the maximum quantum yield of PS2 (Fv/Fm) below 0.8 and also by non-coordinated changes in ϕPS2 and quantum yield of non-photochemical excitation quenching (Yn). Total soluble protein content on an area basis increased with ψ but the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase content remained unchanged. A reduction of total Chl content with drought was observed. Hence in the species studied photoinhibition occurred, which imposed an important limitation on carbon assimilation during drought.

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Abbreviations

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

CE:

carboxylation efficiency

Chl:

chlorophyll

Fv/Fm :

maximum quantum yield of photosystem 2

g s :

stomatal conductance

J:

total electron-transport rate in leaves

Ls :

relative stomatal limitation

Lm :

relative mesophyll limitation

NPQ:

non-photochemical quenching coefficient

PS:

photosystem

qP :

photochemical quenching coefficient of chlorophyll a fluorescence

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

P Nsat :

CO2-saturated P N

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

RuBPCO:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

TSP:

total soluble protein

Yn :

quantum yield of non-photochemical quenching

ϕPS2 :

relative quantum yield of photosystem 2

ψ:

morning leaf water potential

ψs :

osmotic potential

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Botánica Tropical, Instituto de Biología Experimental, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado 47577, 1041-A, Caracas, Venezuela

    W. Tezara, O. Marín, D. Martínez & A. Herrera

  2. Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Apartado 21827, 1020-A, Caracas, Venezuela

    E. Rengifo

Authors
  1. W. Tezara
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  2. O. Marín
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  3. E. Rengifo
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  4. D. Martínez
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  5. A. Herrera
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Correspondence to W. Tezara.

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Tezara, W., Marín, O., Rengifo, E. et al. Photosynthesis and photoinhibition in two xerophytic shrubs during drought. Photosynthetica 43, 37–45 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-005-7045-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-005-7045-5

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