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Leaf age as a factor in anatomical and physiological acclimative responses of Taxus baccata L. needles to contrasting irradiance environments

Photosynthesis Research volume 95, pages 87–99 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

To evaluate the acclimative ability of current-year and previous-year needles of a shade tolerant conifer Taxus baccata L. to contrasting irradiance conditions, seedlings were raised under 27% solar irradiance and at 3 years of age they were transferred to an experimental garden and grown for one season under full irradiance (HL), 18% irradiance (ML) or 5% irradiance (LL). Whereas previous year needles did not change anatomically, current year needles in HL were thicker and had a thicker palisade and spongy mesophyll, and greater leaf mass per area than ML or LL needles. LL needles had greater nitrogen concentration than HL needles irrespective of age but only previous year LL needles also had an increased N per area content, thanks to their lack of reduction in LMA. Adjustment of chlorophyll and carotenoid content occurred in both needle age classes with LL and ML needles having much higher concentrations but, in current year needles, only slightly higher per area content than HL needles. Chlorophyll a/b ratio was not affected by age or irradiance. These modifications had no significant effect on photosynthetic capacities, which did not significantly differ between the age classes in HL or LL treatment and between treatments. On the other hand, high growth irradiance resulted in a greater photochemical yield, photochemical quenching, apparent electron transport rate and inducible non-photochemical quenching in needles formed in the current season. In previous year needles, however, only inducible NPQ was enhanced by high irradiance with other parameters remaining identical among treatments. To test sensitivity to photoinhibition, at the end of the summer plants from the three irradiance levels were transferred to a HL situation and F v/F M was determined over the following 18 days. Sensitivity to photoinhibition was negatively related to growth irradiance and previous year needles were less photoinhibited than current year needles. Thus, differences in acclimation ability between needle age classes were most pronounced at the level of anatomy and light reactions of photosynthesis, both of which showed almost no plasticity in previous year needles but were considerably modified by irradiance in current year needles.

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Abbreviations

ETR:

Apparent electron transport rate (μmol e− m−2 s−1)

F V/F M :

Maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry

F M :

Maximum fluorescence yield

F M′:

Maximum fluorescence in the light

F 0 :

Minimum fluorescence yield

F S :

Steady-state fluorescence

F 0′:

Minimum fluorescence yield in light-adapted state

HL:

High light

ML:

Medium light

LL:

Low light

NPQ:

Non-photochemical quenching of fluorescence

qP:

Coefficient of photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density (μmol quanta m−2 s−1)

PNUE:

Photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (μmol CO2 mol N−1 s−1)

ΦPSII :

Quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mr. T. Szeszycki of Rokita Forest District for donating Taxus seedlings and Adam Mickiewicz University Botanical Garden for allowing the use of their growing space. The study was financed by Adam Mickiewicz University and August Cieszkowski Agricultural University Interdisciplinary Research Grant 512-00-056.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Laboratory of General Botany, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 89, Poznan, 61-614, Poland

    Tomasz Wyka

  2. Department of Forestry, August Cieszkowski Agricultural University of Poznań, ul. Wojska Polskiego 69, Poznan, 60-625, Poland

    Piotr Robakowski

  3. Unit of Ecology, Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Parkowa 5, Kornik, 62-035, Poland

    Roma Żytkowiak

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  1. Tomasz Wyka
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  2. Piotr Robakowski
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Correspondence to Tomasz Wyka.

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Wyka, T., Robakowski, P. & Żytkowiak, R. Leaf age as a factor in anatomical and physiological acclimative responses of Taxus baccata L. needles to contrasting irradiance environments. Photosynth Res 95, 87–99 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-007-9238-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-007-9238-1

Keywords

  • Acclimation to irradiance
  • Photoinhibition
  • Sun/shade leaves
  • Taxus baccata