Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Photosynthetic and Physiological Characteristics of the Evergreen Ligustrum japonicum and the Deciduous Cornus officinalis

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Journal of Plant Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The evergreen, broad-leaved, Ligustrum japonicum and the deciduous Cornus officinalis are distributed in the central and southern parts of Korea and are widely used as landscape plants. In this study, we observed changes in the physiological characteristics of the two species across seasons by observing the changes in leaf photosynthesis; chlorophyll fluorescence; chlorophyll, carotenoid, and carbohydrate contents, osmolality and total ions. With a low soil moisture content due to low rainfall in June, the deciduous C. officinalis showed a 0.3 mmol m−2 s−1 stomatal conductance and open stomata allowing for photosynthesis. However, the evergreen L. japonicum showed a 0 mmol m−2 s−1 stomatal conductance and almost completely closed stomata, indicating a high water use efficiency. Cornus officinalis exhibited a higher leaf net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), and carbon fixation efficiency (CE) than L. japonicum in all months except for November at which time its leaves fell from senescence. In winter, L. japonicum showed a dramatic decrease in its photosynthetic rate and Fv/Fm ratio under conditions of lower than average air temperature and soil moisture; furthermore, it showed a high ratio of the photochemical quantum yield Y(NO) and almost no photosynthetic activity despite it having leaves. Ligustrum japonicum appears to be tolerant to water stress and low temperature by a maintenance of osmosis through the increase and accumulation of soluble carbohydrates in winter. In conclusion, the two species showed different physiological characteristics under a water stress environment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agastian P, Kingsley S, Vivekanandan M (2000) Effect of salinity on photosynthesis and biochemical characteristics in mulberry genotypes. Photosynthetica 38(2):287–290

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arena C, Vitale L, Virzo De Santo A (2008) Photosynthesis and photoprotective strategies in Laurus nobilis L. and Quercus ilex L. under summer drought and winter cold. Plant Biosyst Int J Deal Aspects Plant Biol 142(3):472–479

    Google Scholar 

  • Badeck FW, Bondeau A, Böttcher K, Doktor D, Lucht W, Schaber J, Sitch S (2004) Responses of spring phenology to climate change. New Phytol 162(2):295–309

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker NR (2008) Chlorophyll fluorescence: a probe of photosynthesis in vivo. Annu Rev Plant Biol 59:89–113

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brüggemann W, Bergmann M, Nierbauer K-U, Pflug E, Schmidt C, Weber D (2009) Photosynthesis studies on European evergreen and deciduous oaks grown under Central European climate conditions: II. Photoinhibitory and light-independent violaxanthin deepoxidation and downregulation of photosystem II in evergreen, winter-acclimated European Quercus taxa. Trees 23(5):1091–1100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-009-0351-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaplin MF, Kennedy JF (1994) Carbohydrate analysis: a practical approach, 2nd edn. IRL Press Ltd, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaves MM, Maroco JP, Pereira JS (2003) Understanding plant responses to drought—from genes to the whole plant. Funct Plant Biol 30(3):239–264

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J-W, Zhang Q, Li XS, Cao KF (2009) Independence of stem and leaf hydraulic traits in six Euphorbiaceae tree species with contrasting leaf phenology. Planta 230(3):459–468

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Choat B, Ball MC, Luly JG, Holtum JA (2005) Hydraulic architecture of deciduous and evergreen dry rainforest tree species from north-eastern Australia. Trees 19(3):305–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Chyliński WK, Łukaszewska AJ, Kutnik K (2007) Drought response of two bedding plants. Acta Physiol Plant 29(5):399

    Google Scholar 

  • Collatz GJ, Ball JT, Grivet C, Berry JA (1991) Physiological and environmental regulation of stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and transpiration: a model that includes a laminar boundary layer. Agric For Meteorol 54(2–4):107–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Collatz GJ, Berry JA, Clark JS (1998) Effects of climate and atmospheric CO2 partial pressure on the global distribution of C4 grasses: present, past, and future. Oecologia 114(4):441–454

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cornelissen J, Diez PC, Hunt R (1996) Seedling growth, allocation and leaf attributes in a wide range of woody plant species and types. J Eco 84:755–765

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai Y, Shen Z, Liu Y, Wang L, Hannaway D, Lu H (2009) Effects of shade treatments on the photosynthetic capacity, chlorophyll fluorescence, and chlorophyll content of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg. Environ Exp Bot 65(2–3):177–182

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Devlin R, Witham F (1983) Functions of essential mineral elements and symptoms of mineral deficiency. Plant Physiol 99:139–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Eamus D (1999) Ecophysiological traits of deciduous and evergreen woody species in the seasonally dry tropics. Trends Ecol Evol 14(1):11–16

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards D, Dixon M (1995) Mechanisms of drought response in Thuja occidentalis LI water stress conditioning and osmotic adjustment. Tree Physiol 15(2):121–127

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Falqueto AR, Silva FS, Cassol D, Magalhães Júnior AM, Oliveira AC, Bacarin MA (2010) Chlorophyll fluorescence in rice: probing of senescence driven changes of PSII activity on rice varieties differing in grain yield capacity. Braz J Plant Physiol 22(1):35–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Fariduddin Q, Hayat S, Ahmad A (2003) Salicylic acid influences net photosynthetic rate, carboxylation efficiency, nitrate reductase activity, and seed yield in Brassica juncea. Photosynthetica 41(2):281–284

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Field C, Merino J, Mooney HA (1983) Compromises between water-use efficiency and nitrogen-use efficiency in five species of California evergreens. Oecologia 60(3):384–389

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gallé A, Haldimann P, Feller U (2007) Photosynthetic performance and water relations in young pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens) trees during drought stress and recovery. New Phytol 174(4):799–810

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Galmés J, Medrano H, Flexas J (2007) Photosynthetic limitations in response to water stress and recovery in Mediterranean plants with different growth forms. New Phytol 175(1):81–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Genty B, Briantais JM, Baker NR (1989) The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Biochim Biophys Acta (BBA) Gen Subj 990(1):87–92

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghoulam C, Foursy A, Fares K (2002) Effects of salt stress on growth, inorganic ions and proline accumulation in relation to osmotic adjustment in five sugar beet cultivars. Environ Exp Bot 47(1):39–50

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gimenez C, Mitchell VJ, Lawlor DW (1992) Regulation of photosynthetic rate of two sunflower hybrids under water stress. Plant Physiol 98(2):516–524

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gunderson LH (2000) Ecological resilience—in theory and application. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 31(1):425–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendrickson L, Furbank RT, Chow WS (2004) A simple alternative approach to assessing the fate of absorbed light energy using chlorophyll fluorescence. Photosynth Res 82(1):73

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holden M (1965) Chlorophyll bleaching by legume seeds. J Sci Food Agric 16(6):312–325

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hsiao TC, Bradford KJ (1983) Physiological consequences of cellular water deficits. Limitations to Efficient water use in crop production, pp 227–265

  • Jones HG (1998) Stomatal control of photosynthesis and transpiration. J Exp Bot 49:387–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Khaleghi E, Arzani K, Moallemi N, Barzegar M (2012) Evaluation of chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and relationships between chlorophyll a, b and chlorophyll content index under water stress in Olea europaea cv. Dezful World Acad Sci Eng Technol 68:1154–1157

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim JW (1992) Vegetation of northeast Asia. On the syntaxonomy and syngeography of the oak and beech forests. Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades an der Formal-und Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultat der Universitat Wien

  • Kirk JT, Allen RL (1965) Dependence of pigment synthesis on protein synthesis. Biophys Res Commun 21:523–530

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klughammer C, Schreiber U (2008) Complementary PS II quantum yields calculated from simple fluorescence parameters measured by PAM fluorometry and the Saturation Pulse method. PAM Appl Notes 1(2):201–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Kontunen-Soppela S, Laine K (2001) Seasonal fluctuation of dehydrins is related to osmotic status in Scots pine needles. Trees 15(7):425–430

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kratsch H, Wise RR (2000) The ultrastructure of chilling stress. Plant Cell Environ 23(4):337–350

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kröber W, Heklau H, Bruelheide H (2015) Leaf morphology of 40 evergreen and deciduous broadleaved subtropical tree species and relationships to functional ecophysiological traits. Plant Biol 17(2):373–383

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kura-Hotta M, Satoh K, Katoh S (1987) Relationship between photosynthesis and chlorophyll content during leaf senescence of rice seedlings. Plant Cell Physiol 28(7):1321–1329

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kyparissis A, Drilias P, Manetas Y (2000) Seasonal fluctuations in photoprotective (xanthophyll cycle) and photoselective (chlorophylls) capacity in eight Mediterranean plant species belonging to two different growth forms. Funct Plant Biol 27(3):265–272

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larcher W (2003) Physiological plant ecology: ecophysiology and stress physiology of functional groups. Springer Science & Business Media, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee WT (1996) Standard Illustrations of Korean Plants. Academy Publishing Company

  • Loggini B, Scartazza A, Brugnoli E, Navari-Izzo F (1999) Antioxidative defense system, pigment composition, and photosynthetic efficiency in two wheat cultivars subjected to drought. Plant Physiol 119(3):1091–1100

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Meletiou-Christou M-S, Rhizopoulou S (2012) Constraints of photosynthetic performance and water status of four evergreen species co-occurring under field conditions. Bot Stud 53(3):325

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Müller P, Li X-P, Niyogi KK (2001) Non-photochemical quenching. A response to excess light energy. Plant Physiol 125(4):1558–1566

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Munns R (2002) Comparative physiology of salt and water stress. Plant Cell Environ 25(2):239–250

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murchie EH, Lawson T (2013) Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis: a guide to good practice and understanding some new applications. J Exp Bot 64(13):3983–3998

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ollinger SV, Smith M-L (2005) Net primary production and canopy nitrogen in a temperate forest landscape: an analysis using imaging spectroscopy, modeling and field data. Ecosystems 8(7):760–778

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O'Neill SD (1983) Osmotic adjustment and the development of freezing resistance in Fragaria virginiana. Plant Physiol 72(4):938–944

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Oquist G, Huner NP (2003) Photosynthesis of overwintering evergreen plants. Annu Rev Plant Biol 54:329–355

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pallardy SG (2010) Physiology of woody plants. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollock C, Lloyd E (1987) The effect of low temperature upon starch, sucrose and fructan synthesis in leaves. Ann Bot 60(2):231–235

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reich P, Uhl C, Walters M, Ellsworth D (1991) Leaf lifespan as a determinant of leaf structure and function among 23 Amazonian tree species. Oecologia 86(1):16–24

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richter H, Kikuta SB (1989) Osmotic and elastic components of turgor adjustment in leaves under stress. Structural and functional responses to environmental stresses. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague, pp 129–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakai A, Larcher W (2012) Frost survival of plants: responses and adaptation to freezing stress. Springer Science & Business Media, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarijeva G, Knapp M, Lichtenthaler HK (2007) Differences in photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll and carotenoid levels, and in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in green sun and shade leaves of Ginkgo and Fagus. J Plant Physiol 164(7):950–955

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheller RM, Mladenoff DJ (2005) A spatially interactive simulation of climate change, harvesting, wind, and tree species migration and projected changes to forest composition and biomass in northern Wisconsin, USA. Glob Change Biol 11(2):307–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Taiz L, Zeiger E (2006) Plant physiology, 4th edn. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang Y, Wen X, Lu C (2005) Differential changes in degradation of chlorophyll–protein complexes of photosystem I and photosystem II during flag leaf senescence of rice. Plant Physiol Biochem 43(2):193–201

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tanja S, Berninger F, Vesala T, Markkanen T, Hari P, Mäkelä A, Huttula T (2003) Air temperature triggers the recovery of evergreen boreal forest photosynthesis in spring. Glob Change Biol 9(10):1410–1426

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomashow MF (1998) Role of cold-responsive genes in plant freezing tolerance. Plant Physiol 118(1):1–8

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Villar R, Held AA, Merino J (1995) Dark leaf respiration in light and darkness of an evergreen and a deciduous plant species. Plant Physiol 107(2):421–427

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Xin Z, Li PH (1993) Relationship between proline and abscisic acid in the induction of chilling tolerance in maize suspension-cultured cells. Plant Physiol 103(2):607–613

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (Grant numbers 2016R1D1A1B03934927 and 2016R1A6A1A05011910).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea

    Young Seok Sim, Sung Hwan Yim & Yeon Sik Choo

  2. Department of Biology, Kyungpook National University and Research Institute for Dok-do Ulleung-do Island, Daegu, 41944, Korea

    Sung Hwan Yim & Yeon Sik Choo

Authors
  1. Young Seok Sim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sung Hwan Yim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yeon Sik Choo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yeon Sik Choo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sim, Y.S., Yim, S.H. & Choo, Y.S. Photosynthetic and Physiological Characteristics of the Evergreen Ligustrum japonicum and the Deciduous Cornus officinalis. J. Plant Biol. 64, 73–85 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-020-09284-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-020-09284-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation