Abstract
The relationship between leaf age and photosynthesis has been studied in many plants. Aspects of the problem that have received particular attention include the levels of photosynthetic enzymes (Zima, Sestak, 1979; Patterson et al. 1980), the light response of photosynthesis (Richardson 1957; Ludlow, Wilson 1971), and the sensitivity of the aging process to several environmental variables. Leaf aging has been studied in relation to mineral nutrition (Egli et al. 1978), water stress (Ludlow 1975), light availability (Jurik et al. 1979; Yamaguchi, Friend 1979) and source-sink relationships within plants (Sweet, Wareing 1966; Patterson, Brun 1980). Though a few investigators have speculated on the ecological and physiological benefits a plant might gain from using old leaves for nutrient storage (Hopkinson 1966) or from shedding parts (Thomas, Stoddart 1980), no one has studied the possibility that the changes in photosynthetic characteristics observed after the age of maximum photosynthetic capacity yield benefits in carbon gain.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Björkman O (1973) Comparative studies on photosynthesis in higher plants. In Giese AC, ed. Photophysiology Vol VIII. New York, Academic Press.
Björkman O (1979) Temperature effects on photosynthesis. In Plants and their environment, pp. 26–30. Proc. Brit. Ecol. Soc., March 1979.
Björkman O, Boardman NK, Anderson JM, Thorne SW, Goodchild DJ and Pyliotis NA (1972) Effect of light intensity during growth of Atriplex patula on the capacity of photosynthetic reactions, chloroplast components, and structure, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Year Book 71, 115–135.
Björkman O and Holmgren P (1963) Adaptability of the photosynthetic apparatus to light intensity in ecotypes from exposed and shaded habitats, Physiol. Plant. 16, 889–914.
Boardman NK (1977) Comparative photosynthesis of sun and shade plants, Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 28, 355–377.
Duncan WC, Loomis RS, Williams WA, and Hanau R (1967) A model for simulating photosynthesis in plant communities, Hilgardia 38, 181–205.
Egli PB, Legget IE, and Duncan WG (1978) Influence of N stress on leaf senescence and N redistribution in soybeans, Agron. J. 70, 43–46.
Gulmon SL and Chu CC (1981) The effects of light and nitrogen on photosynthesis, leaf characteristics, and dry matter allocation in the chaparral shrub, Diplacus aurantiacus, Oecologia (in press).
Hopkins JM (1966) Studies on the expansion of the leaf surface. VI. Senescence and usefulness of old leaves, J. Exp. Bot. 17, 762–770.
Horn HS (1971) The adaptive geometry of trees. Princeton N.J., Princeton University Press.
Jurik TW, Chabot JF, and Chabot BF (1979) Ontogeny of photosynthetic performance in Fragaria virginiana under changing light regimes, Plant Physiol. 63, 542–547.
Larcher W (1975) Physiological plant ecology. New York, Springer-Verlag.
Ludlow MM (1975) Effect of water stress on the decline of leaf net photosynthesis with age. In Mercelle R, ed. Environmental and biological control of photosynthesis. The Hague, Dr. W. Junk.
Ludlow MM and Wilson GL (1971) Photosynthesis of tropical pasture plants. III. Leaf age, Aus. J. Biol. Sci. 24, 1077–1087.
McCree KJ (1970) An equation for the rate of respiration of white clover plants grown under controlled conditions. In Setlik I, ed. Prediction and measurement of photosynthetic productivity. Wageningen, Pudoc.
Medina E (1971) Effect of nitrogen supply and light intensity during growth on the photosynthetic capacity and carboxydismutase activity of leaves of Atriplex patula ssp. hastata, Carnegie Inst. Year Book 70, 551–559.
Miller PC (1981) Light and energy environments of chaparral in southern California and central Chile. In Margaris NS and Mooney HA, eds. Components of productivity of mediterranean regions. The Hague, Dr. W. Junk.
Mbnsi M and Saeki T (1953) Über den Lichtfactor in den Pflanzengesellschaften and seine Bedeutung fur die Stoffproduktion, Jap. J. Bot. 14, 22–52.
Mooney HA, Harrison AT and Marrow PA (1975) Environmental limitations of photosynthesis on a California evergreen shrub, Oecologia 19, 293–301.
Mooney HA, Kummerow J, Johnson AW, Parsons DT, Keeley S, Hoffman A, Hays RI, Giliberto J and Chu C (1977) The producers—their resources and adaptive responses. In Mooney HA, ed., Convergent evolution in Chile and California. Stroudsburg, Penn., Dowden, Hutchinson, and Ross.
Maoney HA, Ferrar PJ and Slatyer RO (1978) Photosynthetic capacity and carbon allocation patterns in diverse growth forms of Eucalyptus, Oecologia 36, 103–111.
Nobel PS, Zarazoga LJ and Smith WK (1975) Relation between mesophyll surface area, photosynthetic rate, and illumination level during development for leaves of Plectranthus parviflorus Henckel, Plant Physiol. 55, 1067–1070.
Oechel WC, Lawrence W, Mustafa J and Martinez J (1980) Energy and carbon acquisition. In Miller PC, ed., Resource use by chaparral and matorral— a comparison of vegetation function in two mediterranean-type ecosystems. New York, Springer-Verlag.
Osman AM and Milthorpe FL (1971) Photosynthesis of wheat leaves in relation to age, illuminance, and nutrient supply. II. Results, Photosynthetica 5, 61–70.
Parkhurst D and Loucks O (1972) Optimal leaf size in relation to environment, J. Ecol. 60, 505–537.
Patterson TG and Brun WA (1980) Influence of sink removal in the senescence pattern of wheat, Crop Sci. 20, 19–23.
Patterson TG, Mass DN and Brun WA (1980) Enzymatic changes during the senescence of field- grown wheat, Crop Sci. 20, 15–18.
Penning de Vries FWT (1975) The cost of maintenance processes in plant cells, Ann. Bot. 39, 77–92.
Richardson SD (1957) The effect of leaf age on the rate of photosynthesis in detached leaves of tree seedlings, Acta. Bot. Neer. 6, 445–457.
Singh M, Ogren WL and Widholm JM (1974) Photosynthetic characteristics of several C3 and C4 species grown under different light intensities, Crop Sci. 14, 563–566.
Sokal RF and Rohlf FJ (1969) Biometry. San Francisco, WH Freeman.
Sweet GB and Wareing PF (1966) Role of plant growth in regulating photosynthesis, Nature 210, 77–79.
Syvertsen JP and Cunningham GL (1977) Rate of leaf production and senescence and effect of leaf age on net gas exchange in creosotebush, Photosynthetica 11, 161–166.
Thomas H and Stoddart JL (1980) Leaf senescence, Ann. Rev. Plant Phys. 31, 83–111.
Wall LL Sr., Gehrke CW, Neuner TE, Cathey RD and Rexroad RR (1974) Total protein nitrogen: an evaluation and comparison of four different methods. Columbia, Missouri, Experiment Station Chemical Laboratories, University of ML s souri - Columbia.
Wallace LL and Dunn EL (1980) Comparative photosynthesis of three gap phase successional tree species, Oecologia 45, 331–340.
Wong SC (1979) Elevated atmospheric partial pressure of C02 and plant growth. I. Interactions of nitrogen nutrition and photosynthetic capacity in Co and C, plants, Oecologia 44, 68–74.
Woolhouse HW (1967) Leaf age and mesophyll resistance as factors in the rate of photo¬synthesis, Hilger J. 11, 7–12.
Yamaguchi T and Friend DJC (1979) Effect of leaf age and irradiance on photosynthesis in Coffea arabica, Photosynthetica 13, 271–278.
Zima J and Sestak Z (1979) Photosynthetic characteristics during ontogenesis of leaves 4. Carbon fixation pathways, their enzymes and products, Photosynthetica 13, 83–106.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague/Boston/London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Field, C. (1981). Leaf Age Effects on the Carbon Gain of Individual Leaves in Relation to Microsite. In: Margaris, N.S., Mooney, H.A. (eds) Components of productivity of Mediterranean-climate regions Basic and applied aspects. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8683-1_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8683-1_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-8685-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8683-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive