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Effects of high irradiances on photosynthesis, growth and crassulacean acid metabolism in the epiphyteKalanchoö uniflora

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Summary

Kalanchoë uniflora was grown in the glasshouse with and without shading. Chlorophyll content, area/FW ratio and specific leaf area were higher in leaves of shaded as compared to unshaded plants. Light saturation curves and continuous gas exchange measurements showed that the apparent quantum yield and the light-saturated photosynthetic rate were higher in shaded plants. Shaded plants had lower “mesophyll resistances” than unshaded plants, indicating that the different photosynthetic capacities reflected different contents of ribulose biphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase. Highlight treatment of plants grown in the shade resulted in a decreased photosynthetic efficiency, showing that these plants were sensitive to photoinhibition. However, dry matter production was higher in unshaded than in shaded plants. Obviously the difference in irradiance between the two growth regimes did more than offset the differences in photosynthetic efficiency. Applying additional nutrients did not alter the effects of high PFDs. The results are discussed in respect to photosynthetic performence and plant distribution in the epiphytic habitat.

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Abbreviations

CAM:

crassulacean acid metabolism

DP:

dark period

DW:

dry weight

FW:

fresh weight

gw :

leaf conductance to diffusion of water vapour

HL:

high PFDs

HL-plants:

plants grown under HL conditions

LL:

low PFDs

LL-plants:

plants grown under LL conditions

LP:

light period; n, number of replicates

PFD:

photon flux density (400–700 nm)

pi :

partial pressure of CO2 in the intercellular spaces

RH:

relative humidity

Rubisco:

ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase

Δ malate:

difference in malate between end of DP and end of LP

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  1. Christian Schäfer

    Present address: Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, D-8580, Bayreuth, FRG

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Botanik, Technische Hochschule, Schnittspahnstraße 3, D-6100, Darmstadt, Federal Republic of Germany

    Christian Schäfer & Ulrich Lüttge

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  1. Christian Schäfer
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  2. Ulrich Lüttge
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Schäfer, C., Lüttge, U. Effects of high irradiances on photosynthesis, growth and crassulacean acid metabolism in the epiphyteKalanchoö uniflora . Oecologia 75, 567–574 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00776421

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00776421

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