Forest@ (Jun 2009)
Light and soil humidity influencing oak seedling growth and physiology in mixed hardwood gaps
Abstract
In “S. Rossore, Migliarino, Massaciuccoli” Natural Park (Pisa, I) six-month-old pedunculate oak seedlings (Quercus robur L.) were transplanted within natural gaps of a mixed oak forest. Micro-environmental variability for radiation and water soil content were measured for 145 seedlings during the year. Irradiation relative to the open field (IR) ranged from 5% to 57%. Seven classes of IR each with 20 seedlings were selected. Leaf mass per area was strongly influenced by IR. In the first 3 years survival was high (95, 76 and 75%, respectively) and seedling reached 14±6 cm, 27±13 cm and 39±19 (sd) cm of height. Even if IR and soil water content (SWC) were negatively associated, indicating a lower SWC at the centre of the gaps, height and its relative growth rate increased with IR (explored range: 8-40%) with a significant interaction with SWC in the 1st year, indicating the positive effect of soil moisture. In the 3rd year dimensional traits were higher in L+W+ (high light and humidity) followed by L-W+ (low light and high humidity), L+W- and finally by L-W-. Summer drought typical of the Mediterranean climate was evaluated by chlorophyll fluorescence of PSII on apical leaves of seedlings and mature trees at the beginning (21 June) and in mid-summer (20 July). While in June physiological traits did not differ between low and high IR, in mid-summer (at the peak of water-stress) seedlings of the two highest light classes showed chronic photoinhibition (Fv/Fm<0.75) and an increase in thermal dissipation (D) by constitutive term (Dc=1-Fv/Fm) and by regulated mechanisms of dissipation through xanthophyll-cycle term (Dx). Moreover, in July seedling leaf physiology largely differed with IR: leaves acclimated to high IR have higher photosynthetic potentialities, as shown by electron transport rate (ETR) and quantum yield (P) at saturating light maintained by an increase of the fraction of open reaction centres (qP), counterbalancing the efficiency decrease of the single reaction centres (Fv’/Fm’) dynamically protected via xanthophyll-cycle (Dx). Tree apical leaf physiology behaved differently from seedling leaves both in June (except Fv/Fm) and in July (except Dx). In June photochemistry was higher in tree apical leaves with higher ETR, P, qP and Fv’/Fm’ with a lower fraction of energy dissipated and in particular through lower loss by photoprotection through Dx as expected for high light conditions without stress; in July no chronic photoinhibition was observed in tree light leaves, the efficiency of single reaction centres (Fv’/Fm’) remained high but a drop in the fraction of open centre (qP) decreased significantly P and thus ETR. Consequently the highest potentialities in photochemistry (P) were observed in large gaps (at 40% IR).
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