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Effects of ozone exposure on growth and photosynthesis of the seedlings of Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg, a native tree species of subtropical China

  • Original Papers
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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Little is known about the response of trees to elevated ozone (O3) in the subtropical region of China, where ambient O3 concentrations are high enough to damage plants. In this study, pigment content, gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence in leaves of Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg seedlings, a deciduous broadleaf tree species native in subtropical regions, were investigated at 15, 40, and 58 days after O3 fumigation (DAF) at a concentration of 150 mm3 m−3 (E-O3). At the end of experiment, seedlings were harvested for biomass measurement. E-O3 caused visible injuries on the mature leaves e.g. necrotic patches and accelerated early defoliation. Relative to the charcoal-filtered air (CF) treatment, E-O3 significantly decreased shoot and root biomass, pigment content, light-saturated net photosynthesis (P Nsat), stomatal conductance (g s), maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax), photochemical quenching coefficient (qp) and effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), and also caused a slight reduction in relative increase of basal diameter. Therefore, L. chinense can be assumed to be an O3-sensitive tree species, which will be threatened by increasing ambient O3 concentrations in China.

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Abbreviations

AOT40:

the cumulative O3 exposure over a threshold of the 1-h average [O3] of 40 mm3 m−3 during daytime

Car:

carotenoids

CF:

charcoal-filtered air

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

DAF:

days after fumigation

E-O3 :

elevated [O3] treatment

Fm′:

maximum fluorescence yield of light-adapted state

Fo′:

minimum fluorescence yield of light-adapted state

Fs :

steady-state fluorescence yield

Fv′/Fm′:

actual photochemical efficiency of PSII in the saturated light

g s :

stomatal conductance

Jmax :

maximum rate of electron transport contributing to RuBP regeneration

O3 :

ozone

P Nsat :

light-saturated photosynthesis

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

qp :

photochemical quenching coefficient

Vcmax :

maximum rate of carboxylation

ΦPSII :

effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30700086) and Tiantong National Station of Forest Ecosystems (XT200707). The authors thank Professor Zongwei Feng for his valuable suggestions on this experiment. We thank Dr. Charles Chen (Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences) for his helps on English improvement. The critical comments of the anonymous reviewers are also appreciated.

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Author notes

  1. X. K. Wang & Z. Z. Feng

    Present address: Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2871 mailbox, Shuangqing Road 18, Haidian District, Beijing, 100085, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

    W. W. Zhang, J. F. Niu, X. K. Wang & Z. Z. Feng

  2. School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, 100048, China

    Y. Tian

  3. School of Resources and Environment Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China

    F. F. Yao

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  1. W. W. Zhang
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Correspondence to X. K. Wang or Z. Z. Feng.

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Zhang, W.W., Niu, J.F., Wang, X.K. et al. Effects of ozone exposure on growth and photosynthesis of the seedlings of Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg, a native tree species of subtropical China. Photosynthetica 49, 29–36 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0003-5

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