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Photosynthesis and nitrogen allocation in needles in the sun and shade crowns of hybrid larch saplings: effect of nitrogen application

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

We studied the effects of applying 50 kg(N) ha−1 year−1 of nitrogen (N) on needle photosynthesis, N allocation and nutrient content in the sun- and shade crowns of the hybrid larch F1 (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi). The light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (P Nmax) was not significantly affected by N application or crown position, although the contents of N, P, K, and chlorophyll (Chl), and the maximum rates of carboxylation and electron transport were lower in needles of the shade crown than of the sun crown. This difference was mainly due to an increase in the intercellular CO2 concentration (C i) in the needles of the shade crown. Analysis of N allocation in photosynthetic systems revealed that more N was allocated to functions related to electron transport and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration in needles of the shade crown. N allocation in needles of the hybrid larch F1 was regulated mainly by the light conditions, rather than by N application

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Abbreviations

C a :

external CO2 concentration

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

Ca:

calcium

Chl:

chlorophyll

g s :

stomatal conductance of water vapor

J max :

maximum rate of electron transport

K:

potassium

K c :

value of Rubisco Michaelis constants for CO2

K o :

value of Rubisco Michaelis constants for O2

LHCP:

light-harvesting chlorophyll complex protein

LMA:

leaf mass per area

Mg:

magnesium

N:

nitrogen

N 1 :

nitrogen allocated in light-harvesting chlorophyll complex protein and photosystems

N 2 :

nitrogen allocated in bioenergetics (electron carriers except for photosystems, coupling factor and Calvin cycle enzymes except for Rubisco)

N 3 :

nitrogen allocated in Rubisco

N 4 :

nitrogen allocated in other components in needle

N m :

N content per unit leaf mass

P:

phosphorus

P max :

net assimilation rate at 1,700 μmol mol−1 CO2

P N :

net assimilation rate

P Nmax :

light-saturated net photosynthetic rate

PNUE:

photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency

PPF:

photosynthetic photon flux

V cmax :

maximum rate of carboxylation

V cr :

the specific activity of Rubisco

Γ*:

CO2 compensation point in the absence of dark respiration

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Author notes

  1. Y. S. Kim

    Present address: Division of Forest Water and Soil Conservation, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul, 130 712, Korea

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Silviculture and Forest Ecological Studies, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060 8589, Japan

    Q. Z. Mao, M. Watanabe, M. Imori, Y. S. Kim & T. Koike

  2. Forestry Research Institute, Hokkaido Research Organization, Bibai, 079 0198, Japan

    K. Kita

Authors
  1. Q. Z. Mao
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  2. M. Watanabe
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  3. M. Imori
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  4. Y. S. Kim
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  6. T. Koike
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Koike.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: We thank Dr. N.P.R. Anten and Prof. Ü. Niinemets for their encouragment in this study. Thanks are also due to Dr. Anthony Garrett of Scitext Cambridge, U.K. for linguistic comments. We acknowledge financial support in part via a Grant-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science through Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (to T. Koike). Research Fellowships for Young Scientists program (to M. Watanabe and Y.S. Kim), and Young Scientists B (to M. Watanabe), and also a project study grant from Development of Mitigation and Adaptation Techniques to Global Warming in the Sectors of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (to K. Kita)

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Mao, Q.Z., Watanabe, M., Imori, M. et al. Photosynthesis and nitrogen allocation in needles in the sun and shade crowns of hybrid larch saplings: effect of nitrogen application. Photosynthetica 50, 422–428 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-012-0049-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-012-0049-z

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