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Responses of leaf photosynthesis, pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence within canopy position in a boreal grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) to elevated temperature and CO2 under varying water regimes

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

The effects of elevated growth temperature (ambient + 3.5°C) and CO2 (700 μmol mol−1) on leaf photosynthesis, pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence of a boreal perennial grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) under different water regimes (well watered to water shortage) were investigated. Layer-specific measurements were conducted on the top (younger leaf) and low (older leaf) canopy positions of the plants after anthesis. During the early development stages, elevated temperature enhanced the maximum rate of photosynthesis (P max) of the top layer leaves and the aboveground biomass, which resulted in earlier senescence and lower photosynthesis and biomass at the later periods. At the stage of plant maturity, the content of chlorophyll (Chl), leaf nitrogen (NL), and light response of effective photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) and electron transport rate (ETR) was significantly lower under elevated temperature than ambient temperature in leaves at both layers. CO2 enrichment enhanced the photosynthesis but led to a decline of NL and Chl content, as well as lower fluorescence parameters of ΦPSII and ETR in leaves at both layers. In addition, the down-regulation by CO2 elevation was significant at the low canopy position. Regardless of climate treatment, the water shortage had a strongly negative effect on the photosynthesis, biomass growth, and fluorescence parameters, particularly in the leaves from the low canopy position. Elevated temperature exacerbated the impact of water shortage, while CO2 enrichment slightly alleviated the drought-induced adverse effects on P max. We suggest that the light response of ΦPSII and ETR, being more sensitive to leaf-age classes, reflect the photosynthetic responses to climatic treatments and drought stress better than the fluorescence parameters under dark adaptation.

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Abbreviations

Cars:

carotenoid

Chl:

chlorophyll

Chl a(b):

chlorophyll a(b)

CON:

ambient environment

EC:

elevated CO2 concentration

ET:

elevated temperature

ETC:

combination of temperature elevation and CO2 enrichment

ETR:

electron transport rate

Fm :

maximal chlorophyll fluorescence of dark-adapted state

Fm′:

maximal chlorophyll fluorescence of light-adapted state

F0 :

minimum chlorophyll fluorescence of dark-adapted state

F0′:

minimum chlorophyll fluorescence of light-adapted state

Fs :

steady state fluorescence

Fv/Fm :

maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII

g sat :

light-saturated stomatal conductance

HW:

high water level

LW:

low water level

NL :

leaf nitrogen

NW:

normal water level

NPQ:

nonphotochemical quenching

P max :

maximum rate of photosynthesis

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux densities

PSII:

photosystem II

qP :

photochemical quenching

R D :

dark respiration rates

RCG:

Reed canary grass

Rubisco:

ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

RuBP:

ribulose bisphosphate

α:

apparent quantum yield

ΦPSII :

the effective photochemical efficiency

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded through the Finland Distinguished Professor Programme (FiDiPro) of Academy of Finland (Project No. 127299-A5060-06). The controlled environment chamber system was covered by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) granted to the State Provincial Office of Eastern Finland. Matti Lemettinen, Alpo Hassinen and Risto Ikonen, at Mekrijärvi Research Station, are thanked for technical assistance. Dr. David Gritten is greatly thanked for revising the language of this paper.

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  1. Z. -M. Ge

    Present address: School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu campus), Yliopistokatu 7, P.O. Box 111, FIN-80101, Joensuu, Finland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FIN-80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Z. -M. Ge, X. Zhou, S. Kellomäki, K. -Y. Wang & H. Peltola

  2. Key laboratory of Urbanization and Ecological Restoration, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, P.R. China

    Z. -M. Ge & K. -Y. Wang

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70211, Kuopio, Finland

    P. J. Martikainen

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  1. Z. -M. Ge
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Ge, Z.M., Zhou, X., Kellomäki, S. et al. Responses of leaf photosynthesis, pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence within canopy position in a boreal grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) to elevated temperature and CO2 under varying water regimes. Photosynthetica 49, 172–184 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0029-8

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