Effects of temperature at constant air dew point on leaf carboxylation efficiency and CO2 compensation point of different leaf types

Abstract

The effect of temperature on photosynthesis at constant water-vapor pressure in the air was investigated using two sclerophyll species, Arbutus unedo and Quercus suber, and one mesophytic species, Spinacia oleracea. Photosynthesis and transpiration were measured over a range of temperatures, 20-39° C. The external concentration of CO2 was varied from 340 μbar to near CO2 compensation. The initial slope (carboxylation efficiency, CE) of the photosynthetic response to intercellular CO2 concentration, the CO2 compensation point (Γ), and the extrapolated rate of CO2 released into CO2-free air (R i) were calculated. At an external CO2 concentration of 320-340 μbar CO2, photosynthesis decreased with temperature in all species. The effect of temperature on Γ was similar in all species. While CE in S. oleracea changed little with temperature, CE decreased by 50% in Q. suber as temperature increased from 25 to 34° C. Arbutus unedo also exhibited a decrease in CE at higher temperatures but not as marked as Q. suber. The absolut value of R i increased with temperature in S. oleracea, while changing little or decreasing in the sclerophylls. Variations in Γ and R i of the sclerophyll species are not consistent with greater increase of respiration with temperature in the light in these species compared with S. oleracea.