Photosynthetic Adaptations in Bog and Alpine Populations of Ledum Groenlandicum

Alpine populations of Ledum groenlandicum Oeder have higher photosynthetic rates and appear to achieve maximum photosynthesis at lower temperatures than bog populations. These photosynthetic differences presumably adapt alpine populations to the shorter seasons, lower carbon dioxide concentrations, and lower temperatures experienced in alpine environments, and they agree with similar patterns observed in other species which grow at a range of elevations. Reciprocal transplant experiments show that the differences in photosynthetic characters are correlated with differences in the relative fitnesses of bog and alpine plants in bog and alpine environments.