Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Raaimakers, D. (Utrecht Univ. (Netherlands). Dept. of Plant Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
• Boot, R.G.A
• Dijkstra, P
• Pot, S
• Pons, T

Titel

Photosynthetic rates in relation to leaf phosphorus content in pioneer versus climax tropical rainforest trees

Ist Teil von

• Oecologia, 1995-04, Vol.102 (1), p.120-125

Ort / Verlag

Berlin: Springer-Verlag

Erscheinungsjahr

1995

Quelle

2022 ECC(Springer)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• In Guyana dense rainforest occurs on intensely weathered acid soils, low in soil phosphorus. To investigate whether low P availability limits photosynthesis of trees growing on these soils more than N does, leaf P and N content, and their relationship with the photosynthetic capacity (A(sat), micromol CO2 m** (2) per second) were studied for nine pioneer and climax tree species in a range of light climates. Light environment was described using hemispherical photographs. For both pioneer and climax species, leaf P content (r(2) = 0.71 and 0.23, respectively) is a more important determinant of A(sat) than leaf N content (r(2) = 0 54 and 0.12, respectively). Pioneer species have a higher leaf P and N content than climax species. At similar P or N content, pioneers have a higher A(sat) than climax species. The saplings studied had a relatively high A(sat), considering their low P concentration (15-30 micromol P per gram). All species studied had a constant leaf P and N concentration and photosynthetic capacity across light climates, because specific leaf mass (g per m** (2)) increased) similarly with light availability. This acclimation to a change in light environment makes a possible limitation of A(sat) by P or N independent of light environment.