Editorial

Jan Nauš, Ivana Štětinová

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):1-3 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0020-z

A bibliometric analysis of research papers published on photosynthesis: 1992-2009

J. J. Yu, M. H. Wang, M. Xu, Y. S. Ho

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):5-14 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0010-1

We present here a bibliometric analysis of publications on photosynthesis research from 1992 to 2009 in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-Expanded) Web of Science. This has allowed us to examine the growing trends and the key topics on this subject. We have assessed the document type, language of the publications, publication output, subject category, journal distribution, countries and territories of these publications, institutions involved, hot topics and highly cited papers. The top 30 countries/territories were ranked according to their total number of articles (TA), single country articles (SCA), internationally collaborative articles...

Physiological and morphological leaf trait variations in two Apennine plant species in response to different altitudes

L. Gratani, R. Catoni, G. Pirone, A. R. Frattaroli, L. Varone

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):15-23 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0006-x

Morphological and physiological traits of Crepis pygmaea L. subsp. pygmaea and Isatis apennina Ten. ex Grande growing at different altitudes in the Gran Sasso Massif (Abruzzo, Italy) were analyzed. The two populations of C. pygmaea and I. apennina growing at the highest altitude (C _p2 and I _p2 at 2,310 m a.s.l. and 2,350 m a.s.l., respectively) had a lower leaf mass area (LMA) than the two populations growing at the lowest altitude (C _p1 and I _p1 at 2,250 m a.s.l. and 2,310 m a.s.l., respectively). Leaf tissue density (LTD) had the same LMA trend,...

Multi-objective environment chamber system for studying plant responses to climate change

X. Zhou, Z. M. Ge, S. Kellomäki, K. Y. Wang, H. Peltola, P. J. Martikainen, M. Lemettinen, A. Hassinen, R. Ikonen

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):24-34 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-011-0063-6

This paper describes the technical information and performance of a new multi-objective chamber system enabling the control of environmental variables (e.g., temperature, CO₂, air humidity, wind speed, and UV-B radiation) for understanding plant responses to climate change. Over a whole growing season, four different climate scenarios were evenly programmed into the system's 16 chambers as ambient environment (AMB), elevated temperature (ET), elevated CO₂ concentration (EC) and elevated temperature and CO₂ concentration (ETC). Simultaneously, the chamber effects were assessed regarding the physiological responses...

Effects of shoot girdling on photosynthetic capacity, leaf carbohydrate, and bud abscission in pistachio (Pistacia vera L.)

S. N. Vemmos, A. Papagiannopoulou, S. Coward

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):35-48 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0003-0

The effects of shoot girdling on stomatal conductance (g _s), leaf photosynthesis (P _N), concentrations of carbohydrates, nitrogen and chlorophyll (Chl) in leaves, areal leaf mass (ALM), the diameter and length of shoots, and bud abscission in pistachio were investigated. Girdling individual shoots at the base of the current year's shoot (girdle I), separating inflorescent buds on the terminal current year's shoot from the developing fruits on the previous year's shoot, reduced inflorescent bud abscission by 70% in comparison to nongirdled controls. Girdle I significantly reduced concentrations of nitrogen in leaves...

The photosynthetic stress responses of five pepper species are consistent with their genetic variability

L. J. Ou, X. X. Zou

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):49-55 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0008-8

The aim of the study was to investigate the genetic distances and their relationships among pepper species using photosynthetic features under different stresses and genetic variability. The photosynthetic features under drought, waterlogging and low-temperature stresses, rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nuclear genome and trnH-psbA sequence of chloroplast genome of 25 varieties from 5 pepper species Capsicum annuum L. (CA), Capsicum baccatum L. (CB), Capsicum chinense Jacquin. (CC), Capsicum frutescens L. (CF) and Capsicum pubescens Ruiz & Pavon (CP) were analyzed and used to...

Photosynthesis, leaf morphology and chemistry of Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica in broadleaved Korean pine mixed forest

X. B. Cheng, J. Wu, S. J. Han, Y. M. Zhou, X. X. Wang, C. G. Wang, J. Zhao, Q. H. Hu

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):56-66 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0005-y

Leaf traits and physiology are species-specific and various with canopy position and leaf age. Leaf photosynthesis, morphology and chemistry in the upper and lower canopy positions of Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc and Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Turoz in broadleaved Korean pine forest were determined in September 2009. Canopy position did not significantly affect light-saturated photosynthetic rate based on unit area (P _area) and unit dry mass (P _mass), apparent quantum yield (α), light compensation point (LCP), light saturation point (LSP); total nitrogen (N_m), phosphorus (P_m),...

Growth and photosynthetic responses of four landscape shrub species to elevated ozone

L. Zhang, B. Y. Su, H. Xu, Y. G. Li

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):67-76 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0004-z

Attention should be paid to ozone (O₃) sensitivity of greening plant since ground-level O₃ concentrations are increasing especially in urban and suburban area. We studied the ecophysiological responses to elevated O₃ of four shrub species [Euonymus bungeanus Maxim. (EB), Photinia × fraseri (PF), Chionanthus retusus Lindl. & Paxt. (CR) and Cornus alba L. (CA)], which are often used for garden greening in China. Saplings of those species were exposed to high O₃ concentration (70 nmol mol^-1, 7 h d^-1 for 65 d) in open-top growth chambers. Responses...

Competition and soil fungi affect the physiological and growth traits of an alien and a native tree species

H. Chen, R. Q. Wang, X. L. Ge, J. Zhang, N. Du, W. Wang, J. Liu

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):77-85 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0013-y

Competition plays an important role in the replacement of native species by alien plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate whether the competition pattern of alien Robinia pseudoacacia L. and native Quercus acutissima Carr. is affected by soil sterilization. Physiological traits, such as gas-exchange parameters and chlorophyll (Chl) content, and growth traits, such as the biomass accumulation of the two species, were examined in natural soil or in soil sterilized with benomyl. The results show that native Q. acutissima inhibits the growth of R. pseudoacacia in natural soil. When the two plants coexisted...

Growth and physiological changes in saplings of Minquartia guianensis and Swietenia macrophylla during acclimation to full sunlight

G. F. C. Azevedo, R. A. Marenco

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):86-94 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0001-2

Low light availability under a forest canopy often limits plant growth; however, sudden increase in light intensity may induce photoinhibition of photosynthesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ecophysiological changes that occur in potted plants of Minquartia guianensis and Swietenia macrophylla during the acclimation process to full sunlight. We used six full-sun independent acclimation periods (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days) and a control kept in the shade. Shading was obtained by placing plants under the canopy of a small forest. The F_v/F_m ratio, net photosynthetic rate (P _N),...

Fluorescence imaging of light acclimation of brazilian atlantic forest tree species

L. Dos Anjos, M. A. Oliva, K. N. Kuki

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):95-108 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0018-6

In the pursuit of knowledge on the biological behavior of Brazilian Atlantic Forest tree species, this study evaluated the susceptibility of the light-demanding species, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi., Pseudobombax grandiflorum (Cav.) A. Robyns and Joannesia princeps Vell., and of the shade-tolerant species, Hymenaea courbaril L. var. stilbocarpa and Lecythis pisonis Camb, to photoinhibition and acclimation capacity. These species were first cultivated under two irradiance conditions, I₂₀ (20% direct sunlight radiation) and I₁₀₀ (all-sky or direct sunlight) and then transferred from I₂₀...

Photosynthetic response of two shrubs to rainfall pulses in desert regions of northwestern China

B. Liu, W. Z. Zhao, Z. J. Wen

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):109-119 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0015-9

Pulses of rainfall are particularly pivotal in controlling plant physiological processes in ecosystems controlled by limited water, and the response of desert plants to rainfall is a key to understanding the responses of desert ecosystems to global climatic change. We used a portable photosynthesis system to measure the responses of the diurnal course of photosynthesis, light-response curves, and CO₂-response curves of two desert shrubs (Nitraria sphaerocarpa Maxim. and Calligonum mongolicum Turcz) to a rainfall pulse in a desert-oasis ecotone in northwestern China. The photosynthetic parameters, light- and CO₂-response...

Transgenic tomato plants overexpressing chloroplastic monodehydroascorbate reductase are resistant to salt- and PEG-induced osmotic stress

F. Li, Q. Y. Wu, M. Duan, X. C. Dong, B. Li, Q. W. Meng

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):120-128 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0021-y

RNA gel hybridization showed that the expression of monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) in the wild type (WT) tomato was decreased firstly and then increased under salt- and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress, and the maximum level was observed after treatment for 12 h. WT, sense transgenic and antisense transgenic tomato plants were used to analyze the antioxidative ability to cope with osmotic stresses. After salt stress, the fresh mass (FM) and height of sense transgenic lines were greater than those of antisense lines and WT plants. Under salt and PEG treatments, sense transgenic plants showed a lower level of hydrogen peroxide...

Characterization of different isoforms of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b complexes of photosystem II in bamboo

Z. H. Jiang, Z. H. Peng, Z. M. Gao, C. Liu, C. H. Yang

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):129-138 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0009-7

The major light-harvesting chlorophyll (Chl) a/b complexes of photosystem II (LHCIIb) play important roles in energy balance of thylakoid membrane. They harvest solar energy, transfer the energy to the reaction center under normal light condition and dissipate excess excitation energy under strong light condition. Many bamboo species could grow very fast even under extremely changing light conditions. In order to explain whether LHCIIb in bamboo contributes to this specific characteristic, the spectroscopic features, the capacity of forming homotrimers and structural stabilities of different isoforms (Lhcb1-3) were investigated. The apoproteins...

Acclimation of photosynthesis in a boreal grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) under different temperature, CO₂, and soil water regimes

Z. M. Ge, X. Zhou, S. Kellomäki, H. Peltola, P. J. Martikainen, K. Y. Wang

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):141-151 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0014-x

The aim of this work was to study the acclimation of photosynthesis in a boreal grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) grown in controlled environment chambers under elevated temperature (ambient + 3.5°C) and CO₂ (700 μmol mol^-1) with varying soil water regimes. More specifically, we studied, during two development stages (early: heading; late: florescence completed), how the temperature response of light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (P _sat), maximum rate of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity (V _cmax) and potential rate of electron transport (J _max)...

Grafting onto Cucurbita moschata rootstock alleviates salt stress in cucumber plants by delaying photoinhibition

Z. X. Liu, Z. L. Bie, Y. Huang, A. Zhen, B. Lei, H. Y. Zhang

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):152-160 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0007-9

To determine how the use of a given rootstock can influence the functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus of the scion under salt stress, the growth, gas exchange, photosystem II (PSII) efficiency, xanthophyll cycle, and chloroplast ultrastructure of nongrafted, self-grafted, and pumpkin-grafted (hereafter referred to as rootstock-grafted) cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants were investigated at day 15 after being treated with 90 mM NaCl. The reductions in plant growth of the rootstock-grafted plants were lower than those of the nongrafted and self-grafted plants under 90 mM NaCl. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, maximal...

Nickelsen, K., Govindjee: The Maximum Quantum Yield Controversy. Otto Warburg and the Midwestern Gang

G. C. Papageorgiou

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):139-140 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0017-7

Letter to editor

L. Nátr

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):4 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0019-5