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Photoinhibition in tropical forest understorey species with short‐ and long‐lived leaves
Author(s) -
Lovelock C. E.,
Kursar T. A.,
Skillman J. B.,
Winter K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
functional ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2435
pISSN - 0269-8463
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2435.1998.00235.x
Subject(s) - photoinhibition , biology , understory , photosystem ii , chlorophyll fluorescence , botany , shade tolerance , photosynthesis , ecology , canopy
1. Shade‐tolerant species that inhabit the understorey have a range of leaf lifetimes (from 1 to 8 years), which may indicate a variety of strategies for dealing with increases in light associated with tree‐fall gaps. We hypothesized that species with long‐lived leaves should be more tolerant of an increase in light levels than species with short‐lived leaves. 2. In understorey plants of 12 shade‐tolerant rain‐forest species, photoinhibition, measured as a reduction in the chlorophyll fluorescence parameter F v / F m when leaf discs were exposed to 1h at 1000μmol m –2 s –1 , was greater in species with short‐lived leaves than species with long‐lived leaves. 3. Less photoinhibition in species with long‐lived leaves was not associated with higher levels of non‐photochemical dissipation (NPQ) of absorbed light, but may be the result of a higher yield of photosystem II compared with short‐lived leaves. 4. Thus, species with long‐lived leaves are more tolerant of abrupt increases in light that occur when tree‐fall gaps are formed than species with short‐lived leaves. 5. Discs from leaves of all species growing in tree‐fall gaps had higher levels of NPQ, yield of photosystem II and more rapid recovery from photoinhibition than leaves developed in the understorey; however, there were no differences among species with short‐ and long‐lived leaves.