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Diel patterns of CO 2 exchange for epiphytic cacti differing in succulence
Author(s) -
Nobel Park S.,
Hartsock Terry L.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1990.tb05252.x
Subject(s) - crassulacean acid metabolism , epiphyte , nocturnal , diel vertical migration , biology , botany , photosynthetically active radiation , photosynthesis , horticulture , ecology
Net CO: uptake over 24‐h periods was examined for 6 species of epiphytic cacti. which as a group number about 120 species that vary considerably in stem succulence. Nocturnal CO, uptake as a percentage of the total daily CO, uptake increased from 0% for Rhipsalis houlletiana to 14% for Epipliyl/urn pittieri to 21% for E. oxypetnluin to 51% for R. rhornbea to 87% for Schlumbergera truncata to 98% for Cryplocercus anthonyamis. For R. houlletiana and S. truncata, maximum net CO, uptake occurred at a photosynthetically active radiation of only 200 μmol m −2 s −1 , as is typical for shade plants. Short‐term drought of R. rhombea caused a shift favoring nocturnal CO, uptake. For the 6 species examined, increased reliance on nocturnal CO, uptake characteristic of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) was closely correlated with increases in stem thickness, fresh weight per unit area, water mass per unit area, and to a somewhat lesser extent with another measure of succulence, water mass per unit mass of chlorophyll.