Summary
Temperature dependence of net photosynthesis under conditions of light saturation and maximum air humidity was measured throughout the season in the Central Negev Desert (Israel). Experimental plants were the wild growing Hammada scoparia and Prunus armeniaca cultivated in the runoff farm of Avdat.
The optimum temperature for net photosynthesis and the upper temperature compensation point of CO2 exchange showed a characteristic seasonal variation with low values in spring and fall and high values in mid-summer. This shift was exhibited by plants growing under conditions of normal soil-water stress as well as by irrigated plants. There was no general correlation between the changes in temperature dependence of net photosynthesis of the plants, their maximum photosynthetic capacity under the experimental conditions, their daily photosynthesis maximum under natural conditions, and their rate of dark respiration. The seasonal shift of the photosynthetic response to temperature cannot be explained by changes in the temperature sensitivity of the stomata. It may be caused by seasonal changes of biochemical and/or biophysical properties.
A number of observations made on other wild plants also showed, in all cases, seasonal shifts of the upper temperature compensation point, with an amplitude of 6.0°C–13.7°C.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexandrov, V. Y.: Cytophysiological and cytoecological investigations of resistance of plant cells toward the action of high and low temperature. Quart. Rev. Biol. 39, 35–77 (1964)
Billings, W. D., Godfrey, P. J., Chabot, B. F., Bourque, D. P.: Metabolic acclimation to temperature in arctic and alpine ecotypes of Oxyria digyna. Arctic and Alpine Res. 3, 277–289 (1971)
Björkman, O.: Comparative studies on photosynthesis in higher plants. Photophysiology 8, 1–63 (1973)
Björkman, O., Pearcy, R. W.: Effect of growth temperature on the temperature dependence of photosynthesis in vivo and on CO2 fixation by carboxydismutase in vitro in C3 and C4 species. Carnegie Inst. Year Book 70, 511–520 (1971)
Björkman, O., Pearcy, R. W., Harrison, A. T., Mooney, H.: Photosynthetic adaptation to high temperatures: A field study in Death Valley, California. Science 175, 786–789 (1972)
Chabot, B. F., Billings, W. D.: Origins and ecology of the Sierra alpine flora and vegetation. Ecolog. Monogr. 42, 163–199 (1972)
Chatterton, N. J., McKell, C. M., Strain, B. R.: Intraspecific differences in temperature-induced respiratory acclimation of desert saltbush. Ecology 51, 545–547 (1970)
DePuit, E. J., Caldwell, M. C.: Seasonal pattern of net photosynthesis of Artemisia tridentata. Amer. J. Bot. 60, 426–435 (1973)
Downton, J., Slatyer, R. O.: Temperature dependence of photosynthesis in cotton. Plant Physiol. 50, 518–522 (1972)
Drake, B. G., Salisbury, F. B.: Aftereffects of low and high temperature pretreatment on leaf resistance, transpiration, and leaf temperature in Xanthium. Plant Physiol. 50, 572–575 (1972)
Evenari, M., Shanan, L., Tadmor, N.: The Negev—The challenge of a desert. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press 1971
Harder, R.: Über die Assimilation von Kälte- und Wärmeindividuen der gleichen Pflanzenspezies. Jb. wiss. Bot. 64, 169–200 (1925)
Hochachka, P. W., Somero, G. N.: Strategies of biochemical adaptation. Philadelphia-London-Toronto: Saunders 1973
Koch, W., Lange, O. L., Schulze, E.-D.: Ecophysiological investigations on wild and cultivated plants in the Negev Desert. I. A mobile laboratory for measuring carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange. Oecologia (Berl.) 8, 296–309 (1971)
Lange, O. L., Koch, W., Schulze, E.-D.: CO2-Gaswechsel und Wasserhaushalt von Pflanzen in der Negev-Wüste am Ende der Trockenzeit. Ber. dtsch. bot. Ges. 82, 39–61 (1969)
Mooney, H. A., Harrison, A. T.: The influence of conditioning temperature on subsequent temperature-related photosynthetic capacity in higher plants. In: Prediction and measurement of photosynthetic productivity, p. 411–417. Wageningen: Centre for Agric. Publ. and Doc. 1970
Mooney, H. A., Shropshire, F.: Population variability in temperature related photosynthetic acclimation. Oecol. Plant, 2, 1–13 (1967)
Mooney, H. A., West, M.: Photosynthetic acclimation of plants of diverse origin. Amer. J. Bot. 51, 825–827 (1964)
Neilson, R. E., Ludlow, M. M., Jarvis, P. G.: Photosynthesis in sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.). II. Response to temperature. J. appl. Ecol. 9, 721–745 (1972)
Pearson, C. J., Hunt, L. A.: Effects of pretreatment temperature on carbon dioxide exchange in alfalfa. Canad. J. Bot. 50, 1925–1930 (1972)
Pisek, A., Larcher, W., Moser, W., Pack, I.: Kardinale Temperaturbereiche der Photosynthese und Grenztemperaturen des Lebens der Blätter verschiedener Spermatophyten. III. Temperaturabhängigkeit und optimaler Temperaturbereich der Netto-Photosynthese. Flora (Jena), Abt. B 158, 608–630 (1969)
Schulze, E.-D.: Der CO2-Gaswechsel der Buche (Fagus silvatica L.) in Abhängigkeit von den Klimafaktoren im Freiland. Flora (Jena) 159, 177–232 (1970)
Schulze, E.-D., Lange, O. L., Kappen, L., Buschbom, U., Evenari, M.: Stomatal responses to changes in temperature at increasing water stress. Planta (Berl.) 110, 29–42 (1973)
Schulze, E.-D., Lange, O. L., Koch, W.: Ökophysiologische Untersuchungen an Wild- und Kulturpflanzen der Negev-Wüste. II. Die Wirkung der Außenfaktoren auf CO2-Gaswechsel und Transpiration am Ende der Trockenzeit. Oecologia (Berl.) 8, 334–355 (1972a)
Schulze, E.-D., Lange, O. L., Lembke, G.: A digital registration system for net photosynthesis and transpiration measurements in the field and an associated analysis of errors. Oecologia (Berl.) 10, 151–166 (1972b)
Semikhatova, O. A.: The after-effect of temperature on photosynthesis. Bot. Zhur. 45, 1488–1501 (1960)
Simonis, W.: Experimentell erzeugte Anpassungen. In: Handbuch der Pflanzenphysiologie, Bd. V/2, W. Ruhland, A. Pirson, eds., p. 269–303. Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg: Springer 1960
Shomer-Ilan, A., Waisel, Y.: The effect of sodium chloride on the balance between the C3- and C4-carbon fixation pathway. Physiol. Plant. 29, 190–193 (1973)
Sokal, R. R., Rohlf, F. J.: Biometry. San Francisco: Freeman 1969
Strain, B. R.: Seasonal adaptations in photosynthesis and respiration in four desert shrubs growing in situ. Ecology 50, 511–513 (1969)
Strain, B. R., Chase, V. C.: Effect of past and prevailing temperatures on the carbon dioxide exchange capacities of some woody desert perennials. Ecology 47, 1043–1045 (1966)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This paper is dedicated to Prof. Dr. W. Simonis on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lange, O.L., Schulze, E.D., Evenari, M. et al. The temperature-related photosynthetic capacity of plants under desert conditions. Oecologia 17, 97–110 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346273
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346273