Photosynthetic Responses of Tropical Forest Plants to Contrasting Light Environments

Chazdon, Robin L.; Pearcy, Robert W.; Lee, David W.; Fetcher, Ned

doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-1163-8_1

Cited by 259 publications

(321 citation statements)

References 121 publications

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“…As we observed in the high light, it has been described that early successional species usually show higher leaf respiration than late successional ones (Bazzaz and Pickett, 1980;Chazdon et al, 1996). The higher Rd in sun plants may be a combined result of higher energy cost for maintenance and greater availability of carbohydrates due to higher assimilation rates (Sims and Pearcy, 1991).…”

Section: Light and Co 2 Response Curvessupporting

confidence: 66%

“…Phenotypic plasticity is essential for survival in heterogeneous and variable environments, especially for sessile photosynthetic organisms (Sultan, 1992;Pintado et al, 1997). According to Chazdon et al (1996) and Pigliucci (2001) phenotypic plasticity is usually defined as a property of individual genotypes to produce different phenotypes when exposed to different environmental conditions. Acclimation is, therefore, considered as a process by which plasticity is expressed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity in the early successional Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. compared to the late successional Hymenaea courbaril L. grown in contrasting light environments

Portes

Damineli²,

Ribeiro³

et al. 2010

Braz. J. Biol.

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The present study investigated changes in photosynthetic characteristics of Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. (early successional species) and Hymenaea courbaril L. (late successional species) grown in contrasting light conditions as a way of assessing photosynthetic plasticity. Early successional species typically inhabit gap environments being exposed to variability in multiple resources, hence it is expected that these species would show higher photosynthetic plasticity than late successional ones. In order to test this hypothesis, light and CO 2 response curves and chlorophyll content (Chl) were measured in plants grown in high and low light environments. G. ulmifolia presented the highest amounts of both Chl a and b, especially in the low light, and both species presented higher Chl a than b in both light conditions. The Chl a/b ratio was higher in high light leaves of both species and greater in G. ulmifolia. Taken together, these results evidence the acclimation potential of both species, reflecting the capacity to modulate light harvesting complexes according to the light environment. However, G. ulmifolia showed evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity, as indicated by the greater amplitude of variation on photosynthetic characteristics between environments shown by more significant shade adjusted parameters (SAC) and principal component analysis (PCA). Thus, the results obtained were coherent with the hypothesis that the early successional species G. ulmifolia exhibits higher photosynthetic plasticity than the late successional species H. courbaril.Keywords: leaf gas exchange, light and CO 2 photosynthetic responses, photosynthetic plasticity, plant ecophysiology, tropical forest succession. Evidências de maior plasticidade fotossintética na pioneira

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Section: Light and Co 2 Response Curvessupporting

confidence: 66%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity in the early successional Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. compared to the late successional Hymenaea courbaril L. grown in contrasting light environments

Portes

Damineli²,

Ribeiro³

et al. 2010

Braz. J. Biol.

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“…Few studies included light availability as a predictor of tropical community variation at the mesoscale (but see Jones et al 2006). Solar radiation at ground level is influenced quantitatively and qualitatively by canopy structure (Chazdon et al 1996), and no more than 4% of sunlight reaches the ground of tropical forests (Chazdon and Fetcher 1984;Clark 2002). Understorey plants in these forests are adapted to low levels of light incidence (Chazdon et al 1996), and minimum light levels are required for germination and photosynthesis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Solar radiation at ground level is influenced quantitatively and qualitatively by canopy structure (Chazdon et al 1996), and no more than 4% of sunlight reaches the ground of tropical forests (Chazdon and Fetcher 1984;Clark 2002). Understorey plants in these forests are adapted to low levels of light incidence (Chazdon et al 1996), and minimum light levels are required for germination and photosynthesis. On the other hand, high levels of irradiance can cause chlorophyll oxidation and reduction of photosynthetic efficiency (Sonoike 1996) and therefore limit the occurrence of most pteridophyte species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of pteridophyte communities along environmental gradients in Central Amazonia, Brazil

et al. 2008

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Extrapolation of local abundance-environment relationships to broader scales provides species distribution models used for conservation planning. We investigated the importance of environmental heterogeneity and geographic distance on pteridophyte species spatial distribution on 38 plots of 250 x 2.5 m distributed over 90 km 2 in Central Amazon. Inclusion of canopy openness in our models increased the capacity of predicting community composition even under the narrow range of canopy openness found in our plots. Nevertheless, there was still a large amount of unexplained variance (55-65%). The response of the community to the light gradient was hierarchical and we did not find evidences of light partitioning. Most species were concentrated in low light plots but a few common and abundant occurred along the entire gradient. Soil properties were the major determinants of community composition. Contrary to similar studies, slope was not a good predictor of pteridophyte community composition, indicating that this relationship may be site-specific. There was no correlation between Boristic distances and geographic distances. We concluded that mesoscale turnover is low, although locally environmental variation determines high turnover of species. Studies among different Amazonian physiognomies tend to find high levels of beta-diversity. However, coarse comparisons can not reveal subtle patterns that are relevant for biodiversity conservation planning. This study found

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“…The environment in clearings is mostly affected by high radiation that reaches the lower vegetation strata. Furthermore, the plants in the clearings and upper canopy are subjected to high temperatures and high vapour pressure deficit (Chazdon et al 1996). In contrast, plants of dense forests are exposed to high relative humidity and moderate temperatures, and the irradiance is generally reduced by the filtering effect of the canopy foliage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaf optical properties of two liana species Canavalia parviflora Benth. and Gouania virgata Reissk in different light conditions

Sanches¹,

Válio²

2006

Rev. bras. Bot.

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-(Leaf optical properties of two liana species Canavalia parviflora Benth. and Gouania virgata Reissk in different light conditions). Lianas are plants that depend on support to reach some appreciable height, and they represent an important structural component of tropical forests. Although they predominate in clearings and gaps, some species survive in the understory. Changes in irradiance between these environments can affect leaf morphology and absorption of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). We had examined the effects of different light regimes on leaf optical properties, chlorophyll content, specific leaf area, and leaf surface morphology in young seedlings of Canavalia parviflora Benth. (Fabaceae) and Gouania virgata Reissk (Rhamnaceae). The seedlings were distributed on workbenches covered by different layers of neutral shade netting, thus creating three levels of light intensity corresponding to about 40%, 10% and 1.5% of solar irradiance. Plants growing in full sun were used as a control. Both species exhibited an increase in reflectance in full sun and alterations in leaf morphology. Reduction in irradiance induced an increase in absorptance (decrease in reflectance and transmittance) in C. parviflora leaves in the green due to higher chlorophyll content. In G. virgata the spectral leaf changes were less observable. However, the efficiency of absorption was more pronounced in G. virgata than in C. parviflora leaves under 40%, 10% and 1.5% photon flux density (PFD). The greater efficiency of absorption in G. virgata was due to a larger specific leaf area (SLA) under these conditions. The adjustments in leaf optical properties can aid these species in overall carbon gain under limited light conditions. Key words -leaf absorptance, lianas, light conditions, reflectance, specific leaf area RESUMO -(Propriedades ópticas foliares de duas espécies de lianas Canavalia parviflora Benth. e Gouania virgata Reissk, em diferentes condições de luz). Lianas são plantas que dependem de um suporte para atingir uma altura apreciável, formando um importante componente das florestas tropicais. Embora sejam dominantes em clareiras, algumas espécies sobrevivem no sub-bosque. Mudanças da irradiância entre estes ambientes podem afetar a morfologia foliar e a absorção da radiação fotossinteticamente ativa. Neste estudo foram avaliadas as propriedades ópticas foliares, o conteúdo de clorofila, a área foliar específica e a morfologia da superfície foliar de duas espécies de lianas jovens Canavalia parviflora Benth. (Fabaceae) e Gouania virgata Reissk (Rhamnaceae), sob diferentes regimes de luz. Plantas jovens foram cultivadas em bancadas cobertas com sombrites possibilitando intensidades luminosas correspondentes a 40%, 10% e 1,5% da densidade de fluxo de fótons (DFF). Plantas em radiação plena foram usadas como controle. Ambas as espécies exibiram aumentos da reflectância sob radiação plena e alterações na morfologia foliar. Reduções na irradiância induziram um aumento na absorção (decréscimo na reflectância e tra...

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Photosynthetic Responses of Tropical Forest Plants to Contrasting Light Environments

Cited by 259 publications

References 121 publications

Evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity in the early successional Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. compared to the late successional Hymenaea courbaril L. grown in contrasting light environments

Evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity in the early successional Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. compared to the late successional Hymenaea courbaril L. grown in contrasting light environments

Distribution of pteridophyte communities along environmental gradients in Central Amazonia, Brazil

Leaf optical properties of two liana species Canavalia parviflora Benth. and Gouania virgata Reissk in different light conditions

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