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Photosynthetic traits of Siebold's beech seedlings in changing light conditions by removal of shading trees under elevated CO 2
Author(s) -
Watanabe M.,
Kitaoka S.,
Eguchi N.,
Watanabe Y.,
Satomura T.,
Takagi K.,
Satoh F.,
Koike T.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1111/plb.12382
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , acclimatization , beech , biology , photoinhibition , shading , light intensity , rubisco , botany , horticulture , photosynthetic capacity , photosystem ii , art , physics , optics , visual arts
Abstract The purpose of this study was to obtain basic information on acclimation capacity of photosynthesis in Siebold's beech seedlings to increasing light intensity under future elevated CO 2 conditions. We monitored leaf photosynthetic traits of these seedlings in changing light conditions (before removal of shade trees, the year after removal of shade trees and after acclimation to open conditions) in a 10‐year free air CO 2 enrichment experiment in northern Japan. Elevated CO 2 did not affect photosynthetic traits such as leaf mass per area, nitrogen content and biochemical photosynthetic capacity of chloroplasts ( i.e . maximum rate of carboxylation and maximum rate of electron transport) before removal of the shade trees and after acclimation to open conditions; in fact, a higher net photosynthetic rate was maintained under elevated CO 2 . However, in the year after removal of the shade trees, there was no increase in photosynthesis rate under elevated CO 2 conditions. This was not due to photoinhibition. In ambient CO 2 conditions, leaf mass per area and nitrogen content were higher in the year after removal of shade trees than before, whereas there was no increase under elevated CO 2 conditions. These results indicate that elevated CO 2 delays the acclimation of photosynthetic traits of Siebold's beech seedlings to increasing light intensity.