Primary nerve (vein) density influences spatial heterogeneity of photosynthetic response to drought in two Acacia species
Date
2010
Authors
Sommerville, Katy
Gimeno , Teresa E
Ball, Marilyn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
We examined the relationship between variation in phyllode nerve density and the spatio-temporal response of the photosynthetic apparatus to water-stress in two Acacia s.str. species with contrasting nerve patterns: Acacia floribunda (Vent.) Willd and Acacia pycnantha Benth. A. floribunda had greater primary nerve density than A. pycnantha and also showed greater spatial homogeneity in photosynthetic function with drought than phyllodes of A. pycnantha. A. pycnantha had lower maximum quantum efficiency of PSII in phyllode tissue further from primary nerves consistent with its lower primary nerve density. Further, A. floribunda phyllodes maintained function of the photosynthetic apparatus with drought for longer and recovered more swiftly from drought than A. pycnantha. These findings suggest that greater primary nerve density may enhance drought tolerance and are consistent with the observed predominance of acacias with high primary nerve density in areas with lower precipitation.
Description
Keywords
Keywords: Acacia species; Drought tolerances; foliage; hydraulic architecture; Photosynthetic apparatus; Photosynthetic response; Spatial heterogeneity; Spatial homogeneity; Spatio-temporal; wattle; Agronomy; Fluorescence; Hydraulics; Photosynthesis; Drought; droug fluorescence; foliage; hydraulic architecture; photosynthesis; water; wattle
Citation
Collections
Source
Functional Plant Biology
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
License Rights
DOI
Restricted until
2037-12-31