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Historical aspects and net CO 2 uptake for cultivated Crassulacean acid metabolism plants in México
Author(s) -
NOBEL PARK S,
PIMIENTABARRIOS EULOGIO,
ZAÑUDO HERNÁNDEZ JULIA,
RAMÍREZHERNÁNDEZ BLANCA C
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2002.tb00165.x
Subject(s) - crassulacean acid metabolism , biology , photosynthesis , fodder , forage , botany , agronomy
Summary Use of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants in México and worldwide has a long history, but the morphological and photosynthetic aspects of these plants have only been considered recently. Emphasis in this article is on the daily net CO 2 uptake ability by three species of agaves and three species of cacti that are currently extensively cultivated in México for beverages, food, fodder, and forage ‐ Agave mapisaga, A. salmiana, A. tequilana, Opuntia ficus‐indica, O. robusta and Stenocereus queretaroensis . Data under controlled conditions are used to help interpret seasonal net CO 2 uptake patterns observed in the field. These CAM plants have instantaneous and total daily net CO 2 uptake values similar to those for highly productive C 3 and C 4 crops. The future increase in the cultivated area of CAM plants will have both agronomical and ecological ramifications because of the ability of these plants to endure prolonged drought and to sequester carbon during extended dry periods when few C 3 and C 4 crops and non‐CAM native plants can fix atmospheric CO 2 .