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Photosynthesis, leaf morphology and chemistry of Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica in broadleaved Korean pine mixed forest

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Leaf traits and physiology are species-specific and various with canopy position and leaf age. Leaf photosynthesis, morphology and chemistry in the upper and lower canopy positions of Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc and Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Turoz in broadleaved Korean pine forest were determined in September 2009. Canopy position did not significantly affect light-saturated photosynthetic rate based on unit area (P area) and unit dry mass (P mass), apparent quantum yield (α), light compensation point (LCP), light saturation point (LSP); total nitrogen (Nm), phosphorus (Pm), carbon (Cm), and chlorophyll content (Chlm) per unit dry mass; leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA) and photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (PNUE) for P. koraiensis current-year needles and Q. mongolica leaves. While in P. koraiensis one-year-old needles, P area, P mass, α and LCP in the upper canopy were lower than those in the lower canopy. The needles of P. koraiensis had higher Cm and LMA than leaves of Q. mongolica, but P mass, Chlm and PNUE showed opposite trend. There were no differences in P area, LSP, Nm, and Pm between the two species. Needle age significantly influenced photosynthetic parameters, chemistry and LMA of P. koraiensis needles except LCP, LSP and Cm. In contrast to LMA, P area, P mass, Nm, Pm, Chlm, and PNUE of one-year-old needles were significantly lower than those of current-year needles for P. koraiensis. The negative correlations between LMA and P mass, Nm, Pm, Chlm, and positive correlations between P mass and Nm, Pm, Chlm were found for P. koraiensis current-year needles and Q. mongolica leaves. Our results indicate that leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents and nutrient absorption from soil are similar for mature P. koraiensis and Q. mongolica growing in the same environment, while difference in carbon content between P. koraiensis and Q. mongolica may be attributed to inherent growth characteristics.

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Abbreviations

Cm :

total carbon content per unit dry mass

Chl:

chlorophyll

Chlm :

chlorophyll content per unit dry mass

DM:

dry mass

LCP:

light compensation point

LMA:

leaf dry mass per unit area

LSP:

light saturation point

Nm :

total nitrogen content per unit dry mass

P area :

light saturated photosynthetic rate per unit area

Pm :

total phosphorus content per unit dry mass

P mass :

light saturated photosynthetic rate per unit dry mass

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

PNUE:

photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

R D :

dark respiration rate per unit area

α:

apparent quantum yield

θ:

the convexity of the light response curve

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    X. B. Cheng, S. J. Han, Y. M. Zhou, C. G. Wang & J. Zhao

  2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    X. B. Cheng, C. G. Wang & J. Zhao

  3. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China

    J. Wu

  4. Research Station of Changbai Moutain Forest Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Erdaobaihe, 133613, China

    X. X. Wang

  5. Harbin Vocational College of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150030, China

    Q. H. Hu

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  1. X. B. Cheng
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  2. J. Wu
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Correspondence to Y. M. Zhou.

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Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful to Guozheng Song for maintaining the experiment. This study was supported by key program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (40930107) and Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCXZ-YW-JC 404).

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Cheng, X.B., Wu, J., Han, S.J. et al. Photosynthesis, leaf morphology and chemistry of Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica in broadleaved Korean pine mixed forest. Photosynthetica 50, 56–66 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-012-0005-y

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