Abstract
To analyze acclimation of Euterpe edulis seedlings to changes in light availability, we transferred three-year-old seedlings cultivated for six months under natural shade understory [≈ 1.3 mol(photon) m−2 d−1] to a forest gap [≈ 25.0 mol(photon) m−2 d−1]. After the transfer, changes in chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf gas-exchange parameters, as well as in the light-response curves of photosynthesis and photosynthetic induction parameters, were analyzed during the following 110 days. Simultaneously measured photosynthetic characteristics in the shaded seedlings grown in understory served as the control. Despite the fact that the understory seedlings were under suboptimal conditions to achieve their light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (P Nmax), light-response curves and photosynthetic induction parameters indicated that the species had the low respiration rate and a fast opening of stomata in response to the intermittent occurrence of sunflecks, which exerted a feed-forward stimulation on P Nmax. Sudden exposure to high light induced photoinhibition during the first week after the transfer of seedlings to gap, as it was shown by the abrupt decline of the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm). The photoinhibition showed the time-dependent dynamics, as the Fv/Fm of the seedlings transferred to the forest gap recovered completely after 110 days. Furthermore, the net photosynthetic rate increased 3.5-fold in relation to priorexposure values. In summary, these data indicated that more than 21 days was required for the shade-acclimated seedlings to recover from photoinhibition and to relax induction photosynthetic limitations following the sudden exposure to high light. Moreover, the species responded very quickly to light availability; it highlights the importance of sunflecks to understory seedlings.
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Abbreviations
- C a :
-
atmospheric CO2 concentration
- C i :
-
intercellular CO2 concentration
- F0 :
-
minimal fluorescence of the dark-adapted state
- Fm :
-
maximal fluorescence of the dark-adapted state
- Fv/Fm :
-
maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry
- g s :
-
stomatal conductance to water vapor
- IS 60 :
-
photosynthetic induction state measured 60 s after an increase in PAR
- PARC :
-
photosynthetic compensation PAR
- PARS :
-
photosynthetic saturation PAR
- P N :
-
net photosynthetic rate
- P Nmax :
-
light-saturated net photosynthetic rate
- R D :
-
dark respiration rate
- T 90% :
-
the time required to reach 90% of the P Nmax
- α:
-
apparent quantum efficiency of photosynthesis
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Acknowledgements: Financial support for the investigation was provided by Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia. We also thank Dr. A.-A.F. de Almeida and Dr. R.F. Ribas for significant contributions to improve the manuscript. Dr. M.S. Mielke and Dr. F.P. Gomes gratefully acknowledges the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil, for the concession of a fellowship of scientific productivity.
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Lavinsky, A.O., Gomes, F.P., Mielke, M.S. et al. Photosynthetic acclimation in shade-developed leaves of Euterpe edulis Mart (Arecaceae) after long-term exposure to high light. Photosynthetica 52, 351–357 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-014-0038-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-014-0038-5