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Photoinhibition in seedlings of Fraxinus and Fagus under natural light conditions: implications for forest regeneration?

  • Ecophysiology
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Abstract

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings were grown in the field under three levels of natural light: (1) open, (2) gap and (3) shade. Light acclimation of photosynthesis was characterized by means of modulated chlorophyll a fluorescence of intact leaves and growth parameters were measured at the end of the growing season. Measurements of maximum photochemical efficiency (F v/F m) of dark-adapted leaves at intervals through the day showed that ash had a higher F v/F m than beech in open and gap plots but not in shade plots. This indicated a larger build-up of photoinhibition in beech under gap and open conditions. Steady-state light response curves of the operating efficiency of PSII (F′ q/ F′m), the electron transport rate (ETR) and the photochemical efficiency factor (F′q/F′v) showed greater variability across light treatments in ash than in beech. Both species exhibited similar responses of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) to light. When the data were normalized to the mean maximum irradiance in the growth environment, all photochemical parameters showed a reduction in variation across treatments, indicating that light acclimation in the two species occurred primarily through adjustments in rates of photochemistry. Adjustments in thermal heat dissipation were small in both species. This pattern was stronger in ash, suggesting a greater degree of phenotypic plasticity in photosynthetic capacity in this earlier successional species. Contrary to our expectations, the build-up of photoinhibition in beech did not appear to have a negative effect on total biomass accumulation relative to ash.

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Abbreviations

ETR:

Electron transport rate

F m :

Maximal fluorescence in the dark-adapted state

F o :

Minimal fluorescence in the dark-adapted state

F s :

Steady-state fluorescence in actinic light

F v=F m−F o :

Variable fluorescence in the dark-adapted state

F v/F m :

Maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II in the dark-adapted state

F′m :

Maximal fluorescence in actinic light

F′o :

Minimal fluorescence in actinic light

F′v=F′m−F′o :

Variable fluorescence in actinic light

F′q=F′m−F s; F′q/F′m :

Operating efficiency of photosystem II in actinic light

F′q/F′v :

Efficiency factor of PSII photochemistry (also referred to as qP—photochemical quenching)

F′v/F′m :

Maximum efficiency of PSII under actinic light if all reaction centres were open

NPQ:

Stern-Volmer non-photochemical quenching

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density (μmol m−2 s−1) refers to photosynthetically active irradiance measured with a cosine-corrected quantum sensor

PPFFR:

Photosynthetic photon flux fluence rate (μmol m−2 s−1) refers to photosynthetically active irradiance measured with a spherical quantum sensor. Fluorescence nomenclature follows Oxborough and Baker (2000).

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Acknowledgements

This study was made possible by grants from the Danish Agricultural and Veterinary Research Council (SJVF) and the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University. We wish to thank the Danish Forest Seed Centre for providing plant material for this study and the gardening staff at the Arboretum for assistance in caring for the plants during the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Arboretum, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Kirkegaardsvej 3A, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark

    Katrina S. Einhorn & Jerry W. Leverenz

  2. Department of Ornamentals, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Kirstinebjergvej 10, 5792, Årslev, Denmark

    Eva Rosenqvist

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  1. Katrina S. Einhorn
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  2. Eva Rosenqvist
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  3. Jerry W. Leverenz
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Correspondence to Katrina S. Einhorn.

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Einhorn, K.S., Rosenqvist, E. & Leverenz, J.W. Photoinhibition in seedlings of Fraxinus and Fagus under natural light conditions: implications for forest regeneration?. Oecologia 140, 241–251 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-004-1591-6

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