Summary
Plant growth can be limited by several factors, among which a lack of water is considered of major importance. Despite the vast knowledge of the effect of water stress on photosynthesis, there is much less known about its effect on respiration. Respiration, unlike photosynthesis, never halts, and it reflects the overall metabolism. However, the data available on the effect of water stress on respiration show large variation, from inhibition to stimulation under different water-stress conditions. This chapter combines a review of the latest studies of the effect of water stress on plant respiration with the compilation of data from different authors and recent results to develop a working hypothesis to explain how respiration is regulated under water stress. Leaf respiration shows a biphasic response to Relative Water Content (RWC), decreasing in the initial stages of water stress (RWC > 60%), and increasing as RWC decreases below 50%. Under this hypothesis, the initial decrease in respiration would be related to the immediate inhibition of leaf growth and, consequently, the growth respiration component. The increase of respiration at lower RWC would relate to an increasing metabolism as the plant triggers acclimation mechanisms to resist water stress. These mechanisms would increase the maintenance component of respiration, and, as such, the overall respiration rate. This hypothesis aims to give a metabolic explanation for the observed results, and to raise questions that can direct future plant respiration experiments.
Access provided by Autonomous University of Puebla. Download to read the full chapter text
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
References
Amthor J (1989) Respiration and crop productivity. Springer-Verlag, New York
Amthor J and McCree KJ (1990) Carbon balance of stressed plants: A conceptual model for integrating research results. In Alscher RG and Cumming JR (eds) Stress Responses in Plants: Adaptations and Acclimation Mechanisms. pp 1–15 Wiley-Liss, Inc. New York
Azcón-Bieto J and Osmond CB (1983) Relationship between photosynthesis and respiration. Plant Physiol 71: 574–581
Bell DT, Koeppe DE and Miller RJ (1971) The effects of drought stress on respiration of isolated corn mitochondria. Plant Physiol 48: 413–15
Bowling DR, McDowell NG, Bond BJ, Law BE and Ehleringer JR (2002) C-13 content of ecosystem respiration is linked to precipitation and vapor pressure deficit. Oecologia 131:113–124
Boyer JS (1970) Leaf enlargement and metabolic rates in corn, soybean, and sunflower at various leaf water potentials. Plant Physiol 46: 233–235
Boyer JS (1976) Water deficit and photosynthesis. In: Kozlowski TT (ed) Water Deficit and Plant Growth, Vol 4, pp 153–190. Academic Press, New York
Boyer JS (1982) Plant productivity and environment. Science 218: 443–448
Boyer JS (1996) Advances in drought tolerance in plants. Adv Agron 56: 187–218
Brix H (1962) The effect of water stress on the rates of photosynthesis and respiration in tomato plants and loblolly pine seedlings. Physiol Plant 15: 10–20
Brown KW and Thomas JC (1980) The influence of water stress preconditioning on dark respiration. Physiol Plant 49:205–209
Bryla DR, Bouma TJ and Eissenstat DM (1997) Root respiration in citrus acclimates to temperature and slows during drought. Plant Cell Environ 20: 1411–1420
Chaves MM (1991) Effects of water deficits on carbon assimilation. J Exp Bot 42: 1–16
Collier DE and Cummins WR (1996) The rate of development of water deficits affects Saxifraga cernua leaf respiration. Physiol Plant 96: 291–297
Cornic G and Massacci A (1996) Leaf photosynthesis under drought stress. In: Baker NR (ed) Photosynthesis and the Environment, pp 247–266. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht
Day DA, Krab K, Lambers H, Moore AL, Siedow JN, Wagner AM and Wiskich JT (1996) The cyanide-resistant oxidase: To inhibit or not to inhibit, that is the question. Plant Physiol. 110: 1–2
Duranceau M, Ghasghaie J, Badeck FW, Deleens E and Cornic G (1999) δ13C of CO2 respired in the dark in relation to δ13C of leaf carbohydrates in Phaseolus vulgaris L. under progressive drought. Plant Cell Environ 22: 515–523
Escalona JM, Flexas J and Medrano H (1999) Stomatal and nonstomatal limitations of photosynthesis under water stress in field grown grapevine. Aust J Plant Physiol 26: 421–433
Flexas J and Medrano H (2002) Photosynthetic responses of C3 plants to drought. In: Hemantaranjan A (ed) Advances in Plant Physiology, Vol 4, pp 1–56. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur
Ghashghaie J, Duranceau M, Badeck FW, Cornic G, Adeline M-T and Deleens E (2001) δ13C of CO2 respired in the dark in relation to δ13C of leaf metabolites: Comparison between Nicotiana sylvestris and Helianthus annuus under drought. Plant Cell Environ 24: 505–515
Gonzalez-Meler MA, Matamala R and Peñuelas J (1997) Effects of prolonged drought stress and nitrogen deficiency on the respiratory O2 uptake of bean and pepper leaves. Photosynthetica 34: 505–512
GulÍas J, Flexas J, AbadÍa A and Medrano H (2002) Photosynthetic responses to water deficit in six Mediterranean sclerophyll species: Possible factors explaining the declining distribution of Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris, an endemic Balearic species. Tree Physiol 22: 687–697
Hanson AD and Hitz WD (1982) Metabolic responses of mesophytes to plant water deficits. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 33:163–203
Haupt-Herting S, Klug K and Fock HP (2001) A new approach to measure gross CO2 fluxes in leaves. Gross CO2 assimilation, photorespiration, and mitochondrial respiration in the light in tomato under drought stress. Plant Physiol 126: 388–396
Herppich WB and Peckmann K (2000) Influence of drought on mitochondrial activity, photosynthesis, nocturnal acid accumulation and water relations in the CAM plant Prenia sladeniana (ME-type) and Crassula lycopodioides (PEPCK-type) Ann Bot 86: 611–620
Hitz WE, Ladyman JAR and Hanson AD (1982) Betaine synthesis and accumulation in barley during field water stress. Crop Sci 22: 47–54
Hsiao T (1973) Plant responses to water stress. Annu Rev Plant Phys 24: 519–570
Lambers H, Chapin III FS and Pons TL (1998) Plant physiological ecology. Springer-Verlag, New York
Lawlor DW (1976) Water stress induced changes in photosynthesis, photorespiration, respiration and CO2 compensation concentration of wheat. Photosynthetica 10: 378–387
Lawlor DW (1995) Effects of water deficit on photosynthesis. In: Smirnoff N (ed), Environment and Plant Metabolism, pp 129–160. BIOS Scientific Publishers, Oxford
Lawlor DW and Cornic G (2002) Photosynthetic carbon assimilation and associated metabolism in relation to water deficits in higher plants. Plant Cell Environ 25: 275–294
Lee Chung Y, Tsuno Y, Nakano J and Yamaguchi T. (1994) Ecophysiological studies on the drought resistance of soybean: I. Changes in photosynthesis, transpiration and root respiration with soil moisture deficit. Jap J Crop Sci 63: 215–222
Loboda T (1993) Gas exchange of different spring cereal genotypes under normal and drought conditions. Photosynthetica 29: 567–572
McCree KJ, Kallsen CE and Richardson SG (1984) Carbon balance of sorghum plants during osmotic adjustment to water stress. Plant Physiol 76: 898–902
McCree KJ (1986) Measuring the whole-plant daily carbon balance. Photosynthetica 20: 82–93
Moldau H and Rakhi M (1983) Enhancement of maintenance respiration under water stress. In: Marcelle R, Clijsters H and van Poucke M (eds) Effects of Stress on Photosynthesis, pp 121–131. Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W Junk Publishers, The Hague
Moldau KS, Syber YK and Rakhi M (1980) Components of dark respiration in bean under conditions of water deficit. Sov Plant Physiol 27: 1–6
Moller IM, Berczi A, Van der Plas LHW and Lambers H (1988) Measurement of the activity and capacity of the alternative pathway in intact plant-tissues: Identification of problems and possible solutions. Physiol Plant 72: 642–649
Palta JA and Nobel P (1989) Root respiration for Agave deserti: Influence of temperature, water status and root age on daily patterns. J Exp Botany 40: 181–186
Penning de Vries FWT, Witlage J and Kremer D (1979) Rates of respiration and of increase in structural dry matter in young wheat, ryegrass and maize plants in relation to temperature, to water stress and to their sugar content. Ann Bot 44: 595–609
Pham Thi AT and Vieira da Silva J (1980) Effects of water stress on mitochondrial ultrastructure of cotton leaves: Some metabolic consequences. Z Pflanzenphysiol 100: 351–358
Pheloung P and Barlow EWR (1981) Respiration and carbohydrate accumulation in the water-stressed wheat apex. J Exp Bot 32: 921–931
Ribas-Carbo M, Aroca R, Gonzalez-Meler MA, Irigoyen JJ and Sanchez-Diaz M (2000) The electron partitioning between the cytochrome and alternative respiratory pathways during chilling recovery in two cultivars differing in chilling sensitivity. Plant Physiol 122: 199–204
Rice JR and Eastin JD (1986). Grain sorghum root responses to water and temperature during reproductive development. Crop Sci 26:547–551
Shearman LL, Esatin JD, Sullivan CY and Kinbacher EJ (1972) Carbon dioxide exchange in water-stressed maize sorghum. Crop Sci 12: 406–409
Upchurch RP, Peterson ML and Hagan RM (1955) Effect of soil-moisture content on the rate of photosynthesis and respiration in ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.). Plant Physiol 30:297–303
Valentini R, Matteucci G, Dolman AJ, Schulze E-D, Rebmann C, Moore EJ, Granier A, Gross P, Jensen NO, Pilegaard K, Lindroth A, Grelle A, Bernhofer G, Grünwald T, Aubinet M, Ceulemans R, Kowaslki AS, Vesala T, Rannik Ü, Berbigier P, Loustau D, Guömundsson J, Thorgeirsson H, Ibrom A, Mongerstern K, Clement R, Moncrieff J, Montagnani L, Minerbi S and Jarvis PG (1999) Respiration as the main determinant of carbon balance in European forests. Nature 404: 861–865
Wagner AM and Krab K (1995) The alternative respiration pathway in plants: Role and regulation. Physiol Plant 95:318–325
Wilson DR, Van Bavel CHM and McCree KJ (1980) Carbon balance of water deficit grain sorghum plants. Crop Sci 20:153–159
Zagdańska B (1995) Respiratory energy demand for protein turnover and ion transport in wheat leaves upon water demand. Physiol Plant 95: 428–436
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Flexas, J., Galmes, J., Ribas-Carbo, M., Medrano, H. (2005). The Effects of Water Stress on Plant Respiration. In: Lambers, H., Ribas-Carbo, M. (eds) Plant Respiration. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3589-6_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3589-6_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-3588-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-3589-0
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)