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A comparative analysis of photosynthetic characteristics of hulless barley at two altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

To determine the photosynthetic characteristics of C3 plants and their sensitivity to CO2 at different altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau, hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare) was grown at altitudes of 4,333 m and 3,688 m. Using gas-exchange measurements, photosynthetic parameters were simulated, including the maximum net photosynthesis (P max) and the apparent quantum efficiency (α). Plants growing at higher altitude had higher net photosynthetic rates (P N), photosynthesis parameters (P max and α) and sensitivities to CO2 enhancement than plants growing at lower altitude on the Tibetan Plateau. The enhancements of P N, P max, and α for plants growing at higher altitude, corresponding with 10 μmol(CO2) mol−1 increments, were approximately 0.20∼0.45%, 0.05∼0.20% and 0.12∼0.36% greater, respectively, than for plants growing at lower altitude, respectively, where CO2 levels rose from 10 to 170 μmol(CO2) mol−1. Therefore, on the Tibetan Plateau, the changes in the photosynthetic capacities and the photosynthetic sensitivities to CO2 observed in the C3 plants grown above 3,688 m are likely to increase with altitude despite the decreasing CO2 partial pressure.

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Abbreviations

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

P max :

maximum net photosynthesis

P max350 :

maximum net photosynthesis at 350 μmol(CO2) mol−1

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

PPFD:

incident photosynthetic photon flux density

R D :

day respiration rate

T:

leaf temperature

α:

apparent quantum efficiency

α0 :

apparent maximum quantum efficiency

τ:

CO2 compensation point in the absence of day respiration

θ:

convexity

SD:

standard deviation

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30600085), the Major Basic Research Development Program of China (2010CB951704), the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Kscx2-kw-n-44) and National Scientific and Technological Support Projects (2006BAC01A04).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Y. Z. Fan, Z. M. Zhong & X. Z. Zhang

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  1. Y. Z. Fan
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  2. Z. M. Zhong
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Correspondence to X. Z. Zhang.

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The author contributed equally to this work.

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Fan, Y.Z., Zhong, Z.M. & Zhang, X.Z. A comparative analysis of photosynthetic characteristics of hulless barley at two altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau. Photosynthetica 49, 112–118 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0016-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0016-0

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