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Using combined measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence to investigate the photosynthetic light responses of plant species adapted to different light regimes

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

One broad-leaved pioneer tree, Alnus formosana, two broad-leaved understory shrubs, Ardisia crenata and Ardisia cornudentata, and four ferns with different light adaptation capabilities (ranked from high to low, Pyrrosia lingus, Asplenium antiquum, Diplazium donianum, Archangiopteris somai) were used to elucidate the light responses of photosynthetic rate and electron transport rate (ETR). Pot-grown materials received up to 3 levels of light intensity, i.e., 100%, 50% and 10% sunlight. Both gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence were measured simultaneously by an equipment under constant temperature and 7 levels (0–2,000 μmol m−2 s−1) of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Plants adapted to-or acclimated to high light always had higher light-saturation point and maximal photosynthetic rate. Even materials had a broad range of photosynthetic capacity [maximal photosynthetic rate ranging from 2 to 23 μmol(CO2) m−2 s−1], the ratio of ETR to gross photosynthetic rate (P G) was close for A. formosana and the 4 fern species when measured under constant temperature, but the PPFD varied. In addition, P. lingus and A. formosana grown under 100% sunlight and measured at different seasonal temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30°C) showed increased ETR/P G ratio with increasing temperature and could be fitted by first- and second-order equations, respectively. With this equation, estimated and measured P G were closely correlated (r 2 = 0.916 and r 2 = 0.964 for P. lingus and A. formosana, respectively, p<0.001). These equations contain only the 2 easily obtained dynamic indicators, ETR and leaf temperature. Therefore, for some species with near ETR/P G ratio in differential levels of PPFD, these equations could be used to simulate dynamic variation of leaf scale photosynthetic rate under different temperature and PPFD conditions.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

ETR:

electron transport rate

Fv/Fm :

potential quantum efficiency of PSII

g s :

stomatal conductance

P G :

gross photosynthetic rate

P N :

net photosynthetic CO2-exchange rate

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PSII:

photosystem II

ΦPSII :

PSII efficiency

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Botany, Endemic Species Research Institute, Chichi, Nantou, Taiwan

    S. -L. Wong & H. -W. Huang

  2. Graduate Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

    C. -W. Chen & J. -H. Weng

  3. Department of Life Science, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    S. -L. Wong & J. -H. Weng

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  1. S. -L. Wong
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  2. C. -W. Chen
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  3. H. -W. Huang
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  4. J. -H. Weng
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Correspondence to J. -H. Weng.

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Wong, S.L., Chen, C.W., Huang, H.W. et al. Using combined measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence to investigate the photosynthetic light responses of plant species adapted to different light regimes. Photosynthetica 50, 206–214 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-012-0027-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-012-0027-5

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