Diurnal and seasonal variations in activity of crassulacean acid metabolism and plant water status in a northern latitude population of Opuntia erinacea

Littlejohn, Robert O.; Williams, George

doi:10.1007/bf00388078

Cited by 17 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…(Prickly Pear) is a perennial arborescent cactus of economic interest which has edible fruit and young pads. It is distributed throughout the semiarid lands of central Mexico [17], [18]. In order to corroborate our hypothesis, we assessed three types of response variables: ecophysiological [titratable acidity, osmotic potential (‘solute potential’, Ψ s ), and relative growth rate (RGR) and their components (NAR, SLA, and LWR)], anatomical (chloroplast frequency, chloroplast density, and cell area), and environmental (photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), air temperature, and soil water condition).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecophysiological and Anatomical Mechanisms behind the Nurse Effect: Which Are More Important? A Multivariate Approach for Cactus Seedlings

et al. 2013

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BackgroundCacti establish mostly occurs under the canopy of nurse plants which provide a less stressful micro-environment, although mechanisms underlying this process are unknown. The impact of the combination of light and watering treatments on Opuntia streptacantha (Cactaceae) seedlings was examined.Methods/Principal FindingsEcophysiological [titratable acidity, osmotic potential (‘solute potential’, Ψs), relative growth rate (RGR) and their components (NAR, SLA, and LWR)], anatomical (chloroplast density, chloroplast frequency, and cell area), and environmental [photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and air temperature] sets of variables were analyzed, assessing relationships between them and measuring the intensity of the relationships. Three harvests were carried out at days 15, 30, and 45. Ψs and acidity content were the most important responses for seedling establishment. The main anatomical and environmental variables were chloroplast density and water availability, respectively. Opuntia streptacantha seedlings establish better in the shade-watering treatment, due to higher Ψs and acidity, unaffected chloroplasts, and lower PPFD. In addition, the chloroplasts of cells under high-light and non-watering treatment were clumped closer to the center of the cytosol than those under shade-drought, to avoid photoinhibition and/or to better distribute or utilize the penetrating light in the green plant tissue.Conclusions Opuntia seedlings grow better under the shade, although they can tolerate drought in open spaces by increasing and moving chloroplasts and avoiding drastic decreases in their Ψs. This tolerance could have important implications for predicting the impact of climate change on natural desert regeneration, as well as for planning reforestation-afforestation practices, and rural land uses.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecophysiological and Anatomical Mechanisms behind the Nurse Effect: Which Are More Important? A Multivariate Approach for Cactus Seedlings

et al. 2013

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“…Decreases in stem water content and wilting have been observed for many species of winterhardy cacti in the autumn (Koch andKennedy 1980, Littlejohn andWilliams 1983). The average cladode thickness and the average chlorenchyma thickness for the 20 populations each decreased by ""30% after 14 d at 5°/-5°C.…”

Section: Water Relationsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Freezing Tolerance and Water Relations of Opuntia Fragilis from Canada and the United States

Loik¹,

Nobel²

1993

Ecology

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To investigate the influence of winter climate on freezing tolerance at the population level, minimum January air temperatures in the field and cold acclimation determined in the laboratory were compared for Opuntiafragilis. Populations occurred at 20 locations as far north as S6°46' N latitude and at elevations up to 3029 m in Canada and the United States, most of which experience extreme freezing temperatures each winter. Low-temperature responses and water relations of stems were examined in the laboratory at day/night air temperatures of 2S 0 /IS°C and 14 dafter the plants were shifted to a so; -soc temperature cycle. Cold acclimation averaged 17°C and freezing tolerance averaged -29°C for the 20 populations following a shift to low day/night air temperatures, indicating that 0. fragilis has the greatest cold acclimation ability and the greatest freezing tolerance reported for any cactus. Moreover, freezing tolerance and cold acclimation were both positively correlated (r 2 ;;;;;: 0. 7) with the minimum temperatures at the 20 locations. Plants lost water during low-temperature acclimation, leading to 30% decreases in cladode and chlorenchyma thickness; the decrease in water content was greater for the five warmest populations than for the five coldest ones. Over the same period, the average osmotic pressure of the chlorenchyma increased from 1.42 to 1.64 MPa, and the relative water content (RWC) decreased from O.S8 to 0.49, but the average osmotic pressure of saturated chlorenchyma was unchanged, indicating no net change in solute content during acclimation. Although the role of water relations in freezing tolerance is unclear, the substantial freezing tolerance and cold acclimation ability of 0. fragilis leads to its distribution into regions of Canada and the United States that experience minimum temperatures below -40°C during the winter.

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“…The lowest temperatures tol- (Goldstein and Nobel 1994). Acid fluctuations of CAM are closely correlated with seasonal temperature variations (Littlejohn and Williams 1983). Cold tolerance is important for cacti that reach northern latitudes in southern Canada and the eastern United States of America where there is seasonal cold-hardening and acclimation to sub-freezing temperatures in the winter (Nobel and Smith 1983).…”

Section: Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Stem CAM in arborescent succulents

Lüttge

2008

Trees

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Stem CAM with a peripheral chlorenchyma in stem succulents growing up to arborescent sizes and life forms appears to be a unique evolution as it requires delayed and reduced bark formation and stem stomata. However, stem succulence as a convergent morphotype and with it the stem CAM physiotype evolved polyphyletically in many divergent taxa of the dicotyledonous angiosperms. Controlling water budgets is the main ecophysiological benefit of stem succulence and CAM, where the cooperation of a peripheral photosysnthetically active chlorenchyma and a central water storing hydrenchyma is co-ordinately regulated. Thus, a major factor important for performance of stem CAM succulents at the community level is water or drought. Although this implies fitness under osmotic stress, CAM performing stem succulents are not adapted to salinity and are salt stress avoiders where they occur in saline habitats. Notwithstanding the low overall productivity of CAM plants in general, stem CAM plants can show very high productivity under certain circumstances and may also respond to elevated environmental atmospheric CO 2 concentrations with increased growth.

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Diurnal and seasonal variations in activity of crassulacean acid metabolism and plant water status in a northern latitude population of Opuntia erinacea

Cited by 17 publications

References 17 publications

Ecophysiological and Anatomical Mechanisms behind the Nurse Effect: Which Are More Important? A Multivariate Approach for Cactus Seedlings

Ecophysiological and Anatomical Mechanisms behind the Nurse Effect: Which Are More Important? A Multivariate Approach for Cactus Seedlings

Freezing Tolerance and Water Relations of Opuntia Fragilis from Canada and the United States

Stem CAM in arborescent succulents

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