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Leaf-level photosynthetic capacity in lowland Amazonian and high-elevation Andean tropical moist forests of Peru.
- Source :
- New Phytologist; May2017, Vol. 214 Issue 3, p1002-1018, 17p
- Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- We examined whether variations in photosynthetic capacity are linked to variations in the environment and/or associated leaf traits for tropical moist forests ( TMFs) in the Andes/western Amazon regions of Peru., We compared photosynthetic capacity (maximal rate of carboxylation of Rubisco ( V<subscript>cmax</subscript>), and the maximum rate of electron transport ( J<subscript>max</subscript>)), leaf mass, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) per unit leaf area ( M<subscript>a</subscript>, N<subscript>a</subscript> and P<subscript>a</subscript>, respectively), and chlorophyll from 210 species at 18 field sites along a 3300-m elevation gradient. Western blots were used to quantify the abundance of the CO<subscript>2</subscript>-fixing enzyme Rubisco., Area- and N-based rates of photosynthetic capacity at 25°C were higher in upland than lowland TMFs, underpinned by greater investment of N in photosynthesis in high-elevation trees. Soil [P] and leaf P<subscript>a</subscript> were key explanatory factors for models of area-based V<subscript>cmax</subscript> and J<subscript>max</subscript> but did not account for variations in photosynthetic N-use efficiency. At any given N<subscript>a</subscript> and P<subscript>a</subscript>, the fraction of N allocated to photosynthesis was higher in upland than lowland species. For a small subset of lowland TMF trees examined, a substantial fraction of Rubisco was inactive., These results highlight the importance of soil- and leaf-P in defining the photosynthetic capacity of TMFs, with variations in N allocation and Rubisco activation state further influencing photosynthetic rates and N-use efficiency of these critically important forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- PHOTOSYNTHETIC rates
CARBOXYLATION
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
FORESTS & forestry
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0028646X
- Volume :
- 214
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- New Phytologist
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 122405913
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14079