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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2006; 8(1): 31-41
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-872901
Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

High-Light Stress does not Impair Biomass Accumulation of Sun-Acclimated Tropical Tree Seedlings (Calophyllum longifolium Willd. and Tectona grandis L. f.)

G. H. Krause1 , 2 , A. Gallé1 , 3 , A. Virgo1 , M. García1 , P. Bucic2 , P. Jahns2 , K. Winter1
  • 1Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 2072, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
  • 2Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
  • 3Present address: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
Further Information

Publication History

Received: May 9, 2005

Accepted: September 5, 2005

Publication Date:
22 December 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Studies with seedlings of tropical rainforest trees (Calophyllum longifolium Willd.; Tectona grandis L. f.) were designed to test whether high-light stress affects photosynthetic performance and growth. Seedlings were cultivated in pots at a field site in Central Panama (9°N) and separated into two groups: (1) plants exposed to full solar radiation; (2) plants subjected to automatic neutral shading (48 %) whenever visible irradiance surpassed 1000, 1200, or 1600 µmol photons m-2 s-1. After 2 - 4 months, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm ratio), photosynthetic net CO2 uptake, pigment composition, α-tocopherol content of leaves, and plant biomass accumulation were measured. Fully sun-exposed, compared to periodically shaded plants, experienced substantial high-light stress around midday, indicated by photoinhibition of photosystem II and depressed net CO2 uptake. Higher contents of xanthophyll cycle pigments, lutein, and α-tocopherol showed an enhancement of photoprotection in fully sun-exposed plants. However, in all experiments, the maximum capacity of net CO2 uptake and plant dry mass did not differ significantly between the two treatments. Thus, in these experiments, high-light stress did not impair productivity of the seedlings studied. Obviously, the continuously sun-exposed plants were capable of fully compensating for any potential costs associated with photoinhibition and repair of photosystem II, reduced CO2 assimilation, and processes of high-light acclimation.

Key words

Biomass accumulation - CO2 assimilation - midday depression - photoinhibition of photosystem II - α-tocopherol - xanthophyll cycle - Calophyllum longifolium Willd. - Tectona grandis L. f

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G. H. Krause

Institute of Plant Biochemistry
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Universitätsstraße 1

40225 Düsseldorf

Germany

Email: ghkrause@uni-duesseldorf.de

Editor: W. W. Adams III