Seedling growth in conifers and angiosperms: impacts of contrasting xylem structure

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 749 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Brodribb ◽  
N. M. Holbrook ◽  
R. S. Hill

Competitive interaction between conifers and angiosperms has moulded the structure of global vegetation since the Cretaceous. Angiosperms appear to enjoy their greatest advantage in the lowland tropics, an advantage often attributed to the presence of vessels in their xylem tissue. By monitoring the seedling growth of three members of the pan-tropical conifer family Podocarpaceae and three tropical angiosperm tree species, our aim was to determine whether these conifer and angiosperm seedlings showed distinct patterns of growth and light adaptation that might be attributed to the presence/absence of vessels. Angiosperm seedlings were consistently more efficient in terms of leaf area carried per unit stem investment, as well as more responsive to light climate than the conifer seedlings. Apparently linked to this were larger growth rate, stem hydraulic conductivity and stomatal conductance in the angiosperm sample. Stem hydraulic conductivity and maximum stomatal conductance were highly correlated among species and light treatments explaining the association between highly conductive vessel-bearing wood and high rates of gas exchange. We conclude that xylem vessels contribute to higher rates of gas exchange and more efficient production of leaf area in our sample angiosperms than in conifers. However, this advantage is limited by shade.

Author(s):  
Henderson C. Sousa ◽  
Geocleber G. de Sousa ◽  
Carla I. N. Lessa ◽  
Antonio F. da S. Lima ◽  
Rute M. R. Ribeiro ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The excess of salts can affect several processes in the crops, and nitrogen (N) can attenuate the depressive effect of salinity. The objective was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen doses on the growth and gas exchange of corn crop irrigated with saline water. The experiment was conducted from June to September 2019 at the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony, Redenção, CE, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 2 x 3 factorial scheme (supply water of 0.3 dS m-1 and saline solution of 3.0 dS m-1) and three nitrogen doses, 0, 80, and 160 kg ha-1, corresponding to 0, 50, and 100% of the recommended dose respectively, with six repetitions. At 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS), plant height, leaf area, number of leaves, photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal conductance were evaluated. Saline stress affects plant height, leaf area, photosynthesis, transpiration, and conductance at 30 DAS. The doses of 80 and 160 kg ha-1 provide greater performance in plant height, leaf area, photosynthesis, transpiration, and conductance at 30 DAS. The use of low salinity water and doses of 80 and 160 kg ha-1 were more efficient in terms of plant height, leaf area, photosynthesis, transpiration, and conductance at 45 DAS. The dose of 160 kg ha-1 of N attenuates the harmful effects of salts in AG 1051 hybrid maize plants, providing higher values of photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal conductance at 45 DAS when irrigated with water of 3.0 dS m-1.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Fox ◽  
Amber Bates ◽  
Thayne Montague

For three growing seasons (2003–2005) two newly planted, field-grown redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) varieties were subjected to three reference evapotranspiration (ETo)-based irrigation regimes (100, 66, and 33% ETo). Over this time period, water relations (pre-dawn leaf water potential), gas exchange (mid-day stomatal conductance), and growth data (trunk cross sectional area increase, tree leaf area, and shoot elongation) were measured. Pre-dawn leaf water potential (ψl) was more negative for trees receiving the least amount of irrigation, and for Mexican redbud [C. canadensis var. mexicana (Rose) M. Hopkins] trees. However, mid-day stomatal conductance (gs) was similar for Texas redbud (C. canadensis var. texensis S. Watson) trees across the three irrigation regimes, and was highest for Mexican redbud trees receiving the greatest amount of irrigation volume. Growth varied by variety and irrigation regime. Trunk cross sectional area increase was greatest for Mexican redbud trees, leaf area was highest for trees receiving the greatest amount of irrigation, and shoot elongation was greatest for trees receiving the 66% ETo irrigation regime. However, despite differing irrigation volumes, greatest gas exchange and growth was not necessarily associated with greatest irrigation volume. When considering conservation of precious water resources, these redbud varieties maintain adequate growth and appearance under reduced irrigation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleinis Ávila-Lovera ◽  
Héctor Blanco ◽  
Olga Móvil ◽  
Louis S Santiago ◽  
Wilmer Tezara

Abstract Shade tolerance is a widespread strategy of rainforest understory plants. Many understory species have green young stems that may assimilate CO2 and contribute to whole-plant carbon balance. Cacao commonly grows in the shaded understory and recent emphasis has been placed on diversifying the types of trees used to shade cacao plants to achieve additional ecosystem services. We studied three agricultural cacao cultivars growing in the shade of four timber species (Cedrela odorata L., Cordia thaisiana Agostini, Swietenia macrophylla King and Tabebuia rosea (Bertol) A.D.C.) in an agroforestry system to (i) evaluate the timber species for their effect on the physiological performance of three cacao cultivars; (ii) assess the role of green stems on the carbon economy of cacao; and (iii) examine coordination between stem hydraulic conductivity and stem photosynthesis in cacao. Green young stem photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate was positive and double leaf CO2 assimilation rate, indicating a positive contribution of green stems to the carbon economy of cacao; however, green stem area is smaller than leaf area and its relative contribution is low. Timber species showed a significant effect on leaf gas exchange traits and on stomatal conductance of cacao, and stem water-use efficiency varied among cultivars. There were no significant differences in leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity among cacao cultivars, but sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity varied significantly among cultivars and there was an interactive effect of cacao cultivar × timber species. Hydraulic efficiency was coordinated with stem-stomatal conductance, but not with leaf-stomatal conductance or any measure of photosynthesis. We conclude that different shade regimes determined by timber species and the interaction with cacao cultivar had an important effect on most of the physiological traits and growth variables of three cacao cultivars growing in an agroforestry system. Results suggested that C. odorata is the best timber species to provide partial shade for cacao cultivars in the Barlovento region in Venezuela, regardless of cultivar origin.


1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1510-1515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan S. White ◽  
Katherine J. Elliott

Pin cherry (Prunuspensylvanica L.f.) and striped maple (Acerpensylvanicum L.) are potentially important competitors of red pine (Pinusresinosa Ait.) planted on recently clear-cut hardwood sites. By experimentally manipulating initial competitor densities on 2.0-m2 plots, we were able to quantify and compare the effects of competitor species on red pine seedlings 2 years after planting on two sites in western Maine. Various measures of competitor biomass and leaf area index (LAI) were highly correlated; thus, we used LAI to quantify competitor abundance. On the site with poorer growth for both competitors and red pine, the only red pine variable significantly correlated with competitor LAI was specific leaf area (SLA) of current needles. On the site with better growth for all species, various measures of red pine biomass as well as diameter at ground level and SLA were significantly correlated with competitor LAI. Seedling height was not significantly correlated with competitor LAI at either site. Although there were no significant differences between competitor species in terms of their effect per unit of LAI, pin cherry tended to achieve much higher LAI (and biomass) than did striped maple and thus had a greater negative impact on red pine seedling growth. We conclude that general predictions of the early effects of competition under field conditions are possible, but that the strength of the relationships may be influenced by the extent to which microsite factors and site characteristics are incorporated.


HortScience ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1136d-1136
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Marler

Salinity effects on growth and net gas exchange of carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) examined in were greenhouse culture with ten-month-old seedlings in perlite: peat: sand: pine bark chip medium in 5.1 liter (21 cm top dia.) containers. Treatments of 0.05, 5.1, 9.5, or 13.9 dS·m-1 were obtained by dissolving ca. 0, 2.5, 5.0, or 7.5 g of dehydrated sea salt per liter of rain water and delivered from elevated tanks by gravity to dribble ring emitters in containers via polyethylene and q icro tubing. All plants except control plants received 5.1 dS·m-1 beginning 25 Nov., and concentration was gradually increased for the two highest salinity levels until reaching 9.5 dS·m-1 on 3 Dec. and 13.9 dS·m-1 on 7 Dec. Plants were watered twice weekly until 1 March 1990. Stomatal conductance was determined (LI-COR 1600 steady-state diffusion porometer) on 7 day intervals beginning 24 Nov. Growth was determined as leaf area (LI-COR 3000 area meter), plant dry weight, and trunk diameter. Stomatal conductance declined in all salinity levels to 50% or less of controls by day 12, with a gradual further decline thereafter. Leaf area, plant dry weight, and trunk diameter declined linearly with increased salinity.


1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1384-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Scott Clark ◽  
E.H. Lee ◽  
J.A. Weber ◽  
W.E. Hogsett

Declines in gas exchange of mature leaves of Populustremuloides Michx. (quaking aspen) seedlings under four O3 treatments were investigated in a 33-d study. Gas exchange fell gradually with time, but under O3 exposure declines were accelerated. Photosynthetic capacity, stomatal conductance, and carboxylation efficiency were highly correlated, suggesting a coordinated reduction in the physiological activity of stressed leaves. Intercellular CO2 was not significantly different among treatments, indicating that stomatal opening was not the primary factor in limiting photosynthesis. Analysis of A:Ci response curves revealed that stomatal limitation increased only slightly, while biochemical limitation more than doubled, reaching a maximum of 47.1% by the third week of fumigations. Number of surviving leaves, ratio of surviving leaves to leaves produced, and total leaf area declined with O3 exposure. Whole-plant response curves were less linear than curves for the oldest subset of leaves because new leaves were produced continuously during the study, resulting in within-plant variation in O3 exposure. Declines in photosynthesis were greater than leaf area losses when data were expressed as a percentage of the control treatment. These results indicate that exposure to O3 for a relatively short time severely limits plant carbon gain in a sensitive free-growing species like aspen.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao qi Ye ◽  
Jin liu Meng ◽  
Ming Wu

Background Solidago canadensis L. is an aggressive exotic plant species in China that has potential allelopathic effects on competing plant species. Effects of hormesis are frequently observed in studies of allelopathy; however, the mechanisms of such effects need to be elucidated. Allelopathic compounds may affect the growth of recipient plants via alteration of biomass allocation patterns or photosynthetic capacity. The aim of this study was to determine how water extracts from S. canadensis affected the shoot and root growth of recipient plants and whether the underlying mechanism was related to the biomass allocation pattern or photosynthetic gas exchange capacity. Methods The water extracts from S. canadensis shoots at 12 different concentrations in the range of 0–0.25 g/ml were applied thrice in 9 days to maize seedlings cultivated in silica sand. The growth (shoot height, leaf length and area and root length) and biomass accumulation and allocation (specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area ratio (LAR) and leaf mass ratio (LMR)) were compared among maize seedlings exposed to different treatment concentrations. Gas exchange (photosynthetic light response curve) was measured and compared among maize seedlings exposed to three concentrations of water extract (0, 0.0125 and 0.2 g/ml) before and after the first application, and seedling growth was measured after the third and final application. Results The growth of seedlings (shoot height, leaf length and area and root length) was promoted at concentrations below 0.125 g/ml and inhibited at concentrations above this level (P < 0.05). The pattern of change in biomass accumulation and allocation was similar to that of shoot growth, but biomass accumulation and allocation was not significantly affected by the water extract treatments (P > 0.05). The water extract treatments did not significantly affect the photosynthetic capacity (P > 0.05), but the dark respiration rate was higher in the low-dose treatment than that in the high-dose treatment. Shoot height was positively correlated with the biomass allocation indicators SLA and LAR (P < 0.05) but not with LMR (P > 0.05). Conclusions The results suggested that the effects of the water extracts from S. canadensis were highly dependent on the concentration, with the growth of maize seedlings promoted at low concentrations of water extracts. The effects of the water extracts on the growth of maize seedlings were mainly due to the effects on the LAR, the allocation to leaf area growth, whereas the effects of the water extracts on leaf gas exchange capacity cannot explain variation of seedling growth. Thus, the stimulation of plant growth was very likely due to increased biomass allocation towards the shoot.


2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Chowdhury ◽  
MA Karim ◽  
QA Khaliq ◽  
AU Ahmed ◽  
MSA Khan

An experiment was conducted in a venylhouse at the environmental stress site of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur during September to December 2012 to determine the changes of photosynthesis and some related traits under drought stress in soybean genotypes. Four studied genotypes viz. Shohag, BARI Soybean 6 and BD2331 (relatively stress tolerant) and BGM2026 (susceptible) were tested against two water regimes such as water stress and non-stress. Results indicated that gas exchange characteristics were positively correlated with plant growth. Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance showed more reduction in susceptible genotypes than the tolerant ones. Transpiration rate was found minimal in tolerant genotypes. Changes in leaf growth attributes of the four selected genotypes were compared under drought (water) stress conditions which is one of the major plant parts related to gas exchange. Generally, drought stress decreased the leaf area more in susceptible genotype than tolerant genotype. From the result, genotype BGM2026 which recorded the lowest photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, leaf area but highest transpiration rate was considered as drought susceptible whereas BARI Soybean-6, Shohag and BD2331 were more drought stress tolerant which have better mechanisms of drought tolerance.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(2): 195-205, June 2016


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
SUPRIYA DIXIT ◽  
R. K. GUPTA

Currently, a real challenge for the workers in the agricultural research field is to stop or reduce the use of expensive agrochemicals/ chemical fertilizers which are hazardous to the environment as well as human health. Present study was aimed to improve the growth and obtain optimum yield of Vigna crop with eco-friendly, non-toxic way and to reduce the use of agrochemical/chemical fertilizer application in agricultural activities. A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of chemical fertilizer (DAP) and biofertilizer ( Rhizobium strain) separately and in combination on seed germination and seedling growth (at 30 days) based on morphological parameters such as seedling length (cm), fresh weight (g), dry weight (g) and leaf area (cm)2 of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek. After one month (30 Days) observations, it was found that seedling length, fresh and dry weights and leaf area were maximum in T4 and minimum in T15, T7 and T8 favored improved seedling length and leaf area whereas T7, T8, and T9 favored improved fresh and dry weights as compared to control.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 501c-501
Author(s):  
Andrés A. Estrada-Luna ◽  
Jonathan N. Egilla ◽  
Fred T. Davies

The effect of mycorrhizal fungi on gas exchange of micropropagated guava plantlets (Psidium guajava L.) during acclimatization and plant establishment was determined. Guava plantlets (Psidium guajava L. cv. `Media China') were asexually propagated through tissue culture and acclimatized in a glasshouse for eighteen weeks. Half of the plantlets were inoculated with ZAC-19, which is a mixed isolate containing Glomus etunicatum and an unknown Glomus spp. Plantlets were fertilized with modified Long Ashton nutrient solution containing 11 (g P/ml. Gas exchange measurements included photosynthetic rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), internal CO2 concentration (Ci), transpiration rate (E), water use efficiency (WUE), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Measurements were taken at 2, 4, 8 and 18 weeks after inoculation using a LI-6200 portable photosynthesis system (LI-COR Inc. Lincoln, Neb., USA). Two weeks after inoculation, noninoculated plantlets had greater A compared to mycorrhizal plantlets. However, 4 and 8 weeks after inoculation, mycorrhizal plantlets had greater A, gs, Ci and WUE. At the end of the experiment gas exchange was comparable between noninoculated and mycorrhizal plantlets.


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