biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 46:637-639, 2003 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1024880121096

Photosynthetic and Transpiration Rates of Olea europaea subsp. sylvestris and Rhamnus lycioides as Affected by Water Deficit and Mycorrhiza

F. Caravaca¹, E. Díaz², J.M. Barea³, C. Azcón-Aguilar³, A. Roldán¹

¹ Department of Soil and Water Conservation, CSIC-CEBAS, Murcía, Spain

² CSIC-Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology, Sevilla, Spain

³ Department of Microbiology, CSIC-EEZ, Granada, Spain

This study examined the effect of mycorrhizal colonization with Glomus intraradices on physiological parameters and foliar nutrient concentrations in Olea europaea L. subsp. sylvestris and Rhamnus lycioides L. seedlings subjected to well-watered or drought-stressed conditions. Under drought stress, mycorrhizal O. europaea seedlings showed significantly higher photosynthetic and transpiration rates, stomatal conductance and foliar P concentration than its similarly-sized non-mycorrhizal counterpart. The intrinsic water use efficiency (photosynthetic rate to stomatal conductance ratio) was not change in O. europaea and decreased in R. lycioides seedlings due to mycorrhizal colonization under both well-watered and drought-stress conditions.

Keywords: intrinsic water use efficiency; Glomus intraradices; Mediterranean ecosystems; stomatal conductance; water stress

Subjects: arbuscular mycorrhiza, gas exchange; fungi; gas exchange, drought stress; gas exchange, water stress; Glomus intraradices; intrinsic water use efficiency, mycorrhiza; mycorrhiza, gas exchange; nitrogen nutrition, mycorrhiza; Olea europea; phosphorus nutrition, mycorrhiza; potassium nutrition, gas exchange, mycorrhiza; Rhamnus lycioides; stomatal conductance, mycorrhiza, water stress; water deficit, mycorrhiza, gas exchange; water stress, gas exchange; water use efficiency, mycorrhiza, water stress

Prepublished online: May 1, 2003; Published: December 1, 2003  Show citation