Summary
The diurnal patterns of twig xylem water potential, net photosynthesis rate, water use efficiency of photosynthesis, and stomatal and mesophyll conductance to CO2 in tamarack, black spruce and swamp birch growing in a natural peatland in central Alberta, Canada, were examined. The relationships of photosynthesis to other ccophysiological parameters were investigated. Data were collected on three days with different weather and soil moisture conditions in the 1988 growing season. Day 1 was clear and warm and the ground water table was 7 cm above the average peat surface. Day 2 was clear and hot. Day 3 was cloudy but warm. On day 2 and day 3, the water tables were in the normal range for that season. Major findings were: 1) Soil flooding depressed photosynthesis in tamarack and black spruce. 2) Swamp birch was better adapted to flooding than tamarack or black spruce. 3) The trees experienced water stress in the afternoons of the two days with lower water table. 4) Changes in photosynthesis of the three species were primarily affected by changes in mesophyll conductance (gm) and the response of photosynthesis to changes in gm was similar for all three species.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beadle CL, Talbot H, Neilson RE, and Jarvis PE (1985) Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis in a mature scots pine and Pinus-sylvestris forest 1. Diurnal, seasonal and spatial variation in shoots. J Appl Ecol 22:557–572
Berkowitz GA and Gibbs M (1983) Reduced osmotic potential inhibition of photosynthesis. Plant Physiol 72:1100–1109
Boggie R and Miller HG (1976) Growth of Pinus contorta at different water levels in deep blanket peat. Forestry (Oxf.), 49:123–131
Bradford KJ and Hsiao TC (1982) Physiological responses to moderate water stress. In: Lange OL, Nobel PS, Osmond CB and Ziegler H (eds) Physiological plant ecology II: water relations and carbon assimilation. Encyclopedia of plant physiology, New series vol. 12 B. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp 264–324
Buxton GF, Cyr DR, and Dumbroff EB (1985) Physiological responses of three northern conifers to rapid and slow induction of moisture stress. Can J Bot 63:1171–1176
Caemmerer SV and Farquhar GD (1981) Some relationships between biochemistry of photosynthesis and the gas exchange of leaves. Planta 153:376–387
Coombs J, Hall DO, Long SP, and Scurlock JMO (1985) Techniques in bioproductivity and photosynthesis. 2nd edition. Pergamon Press
Dang QL and Lieffers VJ (1989) Climate and tree ring growth of black spruce in some Alberta peatlands. Can J Bot 67:1885–1889
Edwards G and Walker D (1983) C3, C4: mechanisms and cellular and environmental regulations, of photosynthesis. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford
Farquhar GD and Sharkey TD (1982) Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 33:317–345
Fites JA and Teskey RO (1988) CO2 and water vapour exchange of Pinus taeda in relation to stomatal behaviour: test of an optimization hypothesis. Can J For Res 18:150–157
Kaiser WM (1987) Effects of water deficit on photosynthetic capacity. Physiol Plantarum 71:142–149
Kaufmann MR (1981) Water relations during drought. Chapter 4 in Paleg LG and Aspinall D (eds.) The physiology and biochemistry of drought resistance in plants. Academic Press, New York
Kauhanen H (1986) Stomatal resistance, photosynthesis and water relations in mountain birch in the subarctic. Tree Physiol 2:123–130
Kozlowski TT (1982) Water supply and tree growth. II Flooding. For Abstr 43:145–161
Kozlowski TT (1984a) Effect of flooding on water, carbohydrate, and mineral relations. In: Kozlowski TT (ed.) Flooding and plant growth. Academic Press Inc., New York, pp 129–163
Kozlowski TT (1984b) Plant responses to flooding of soil. Bioscience 34:162–169
Kozlowski TT and Pallardy SG (1984) Effects of flooding on water, carbohydrate, and mineral relations. In: Kozlowski TT (ed.) Flooding and plant growth. Academic Press Inc., New York, pp 165–193
Kramer PJ and Kozlowski TT (1979) Physiology of woody plants. Academic Press, New York
Larcher W (1983) Physiological plant ecology. Corrected printing of the second edition. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Leverenz JW (1981) Photosynthesis and transpiration in large forest-grown Douglas-fir: diurnal variation. Can J Bot 59:349–356
Lieffers VJ and Rothwell RL (1986) Rooting of peatland black spruce and tamarack in relation to depth of water table. Can J For Res 65:817–821
Lopushinsky W and Kaufmann MR (1984) Effects of cold soil on water relations and spring growth of Douglas-fir seedling. For Sci 30:628–634
Macdonald SE and Lieffers VJ (1990) Photosynthesis, water relations, and foliar nitrogen of Picea mariana and Larix laricina from drained and undrained peatlands. Can J For Res 20:995–1000
Mannerkoski H (1985) Effect of water table fluctuation on the ecology of peat soil. Publications from the Department of Peatland Forestry, University of Helsinki 7, Helsinki
Melzack RN, Bravdo B, and Riov J (1985) The effect of water stress on photosynthesis in Pinus halepensis. Physiol Plant 64:295–300
Nobel PS (1983) Biophysical plant physiology and ecology. WH Freeman and Company, USA
Ögren E and Öquist G (1985) Effects of drought on photosynthesis, chlorophyll and photoinhibition susceptibility in intact willow leaves. Planta 166:380–388
Osonubi O and Davies WJ (1980) The influence of water stress on the photosynthetic performance and stomatal behaviour of tree seedings subjected to variation in temperature and irradiance. Oecologia 45:3–10
O'Toole JC, Crookston RK, Treharne KJ, and Ozbun JL (1976) Mesophyll resistance and carboxylase activity. Plant Physiol 57:465–468
Passioura JB (1981) Water collection by roots. In: Paleg LG and Aspinall D (eds.) The physiology and biochemistry of drought resistance in plants. Academic Press, pp 39–53
Ritchie GA and Hinckley TM (1975) The pressure chamber as an instrument for ecological research. Adv Ecol Res 9:165–254
SAS Institute Inc. (1987) SAS/STATTM for personal computers, Version 6 Edition. Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc. 1028 pp
Schulze ED and Hall AE (1982) Stomatal responses, water loss and CO2 assimilation rates of plants in contrasting environments. In: Lange OL, Nobel PS, Osmond CB and Ziegler H (eds) Physiological plant ecology II: water relations and carbon assimilation. Encyclopedia of plant physiology, New series Vol. 12B, p747. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp 181–230
Steel RGD and Torrie JH (1980) Principles and procedures of statistics, A biometrical approach. 2nd Edition. McGraw-Hill, Inc. USA
Tang ZC and Kozlowski TT (1982) Some physiological and growth responses of Betula papyrifera seedlings to flooding. Physiol. Plant 55:415–420
Teskey RO, Fites JA, Samuelson LJ, and Bongarten BC (1986) Stomatal and nonstomatal limitations to net photosynthesis in Pinus taeda L. under different environmental conditions. Tree Physiol 2:131–142
Whiteman PC and Koller D (1964) Environmental control of photosynthesis and transpiration in Pinus halepensis. Israel J Bot 13:166–176
Wong SC, Cowan IR, and Farquhar GD (1979) Stomatal conductance correlates with photosynthetic capacity. Nature 282:424–426
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dang, Q.L., Lieffers, V.J., Rothwell, R.L. et al. Diurnal variation and interrelations of ecophysiological parameters in three peatland woody species under different weather and soil moisture conditions. Oecologia 88, 317–324 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317573
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317573