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Effects of drought stress on the evergreen Quercus ilex L., the deciduous Q. robur L. and their hybrid Q. × turneri Willd.

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Five-year-old trees of deciduous Quercus robur L., evergreen Q. ilex L., and their semideciduous hybrid, Q. × turneri Willd. (var. pseudoturneri), growing in pots, were subjected to drought stress by withholding water for 18–22 days, until leaf water potentials decreased below −2 MPa. Gas-exchange rates, oxygen evolution, and modulated chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence measurements revealed that by strong stomata closure and declining photosynthetic capacity down to approximately 50%, all three taxa responded with strongly reduced photosynthesis rates. In Q. robur, photochemical quenching of the drought-stressed plants was much lower than in nonstressed controls. Dissection of the occurring events in the photosynthetic electron transport chain by fast Chl fluorescence induction analysis with the JIP-test were discussed.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

intercellular CO2 mole fraction

DS:

drought stress

ET:

electron transport

Fv :

maximal variable fluorescence

Fv/Fm :

maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry

g s :

stomatal conductance of water vapour

LWC:

leaf water content

NPQ:

nonphotochemical quenching

PAM:

pulse-amplitude-modulated

PAR:

photosynthetically active radiation

P max :

photosynthetic capacity (capacity of the photosynthetic system, if photorespiration and stomatal effects are avoided due to high CO2 concentration)

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

PIabs :

performance index on absorption basis

PS:

photosystem

Q:

plastochinon

qI :

photoinhibitory quenching

qP :

photochemical quenching

RC:

reaction centre

VI :

relative variable fluorescence at I-step (30 μs)

VJ :

relative variable fluorescence at I-step (30 μs)

VK :

relative variable fluorescence at K-step (300 μs)

VIP:

IP-phase (1-VI)

ΦD0 :

quantum yield of energy dissipation

ΦE0 :

quantum yield of electron transport

ΦP0 :

maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry

Ψleaf :

predawn leaf water potential

Ψ0 :

probability that a trapped exciton moves an electron into the electron transport chain beyond QA −

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biodiversity and Climate Research Center Frankfurt (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325, Frankfurt, Germany

    S. Koller, V. Holland & W. Brüggemann

  2. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Biologicum, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany

    V. Holland & W. Brüggemann

Authors
  1. S. Koller
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  2. V. Holland
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  3. W. Brüggemann
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Correspondence to S. Koller.

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Acknowledgements: The present study was financially supported by the research funding programme “LOEWE — Landes-Offensive zur Entwicklung Wissenschaftlich-ökonomischer Exzellenz” of Hesse’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Arts. We like to thank two unknown reviewers for very helpful remarks on the manuscript.

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Koller, S., Holland, V. & Brüggemann, W. Effects of drought stress on the evergreen Quercus ilex L., the deciduous Q. robur L. and their hybrid Q. × turneri Willd.. Photosynthetica 51, 574–582 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-013-0058-6

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