Photosynthetica, 2013 (vol. 51), issue 2

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(2):312-316 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0022-5

The photosynthetic performance of sterile and fertile sporophytes in a natural population of the fern Dryopteris affinis

L. Paoli1,2,*, M. Landi1,3
1 Department of Environmental Science, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
2 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
3 Ufficio Territoriale per la Biodiversità di Siena, Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Siena, Italy

We studied the photosynthetic performance of sterile and fertile sporophytes in a natural population of the fern Dryopteris affinis growing within a riparian forest (Central Italy) using chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence transients, the OJIP phase, where O is for the minimum fluorescence, P is for the peak (the maximum), and J and I are inflections. The "vitality" of the samples was assessed by the maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry obtained indirectly from the fluorescence data (Fv/Fm); in the same way, the so-called performance index (PIABS) was obtained from fluorescence data. The photosynthetic performance (inferred from PIABS) of D. affinis changed significantly with the seasonal development of the fronds. The highest photosynthetic performance was recorded in the summer, corresponding to the period of spore release. The photosynthetic performance decreased in the winter, down to the minimal values of senescent fronds reached at the end of the seasonal cycle (May-June). On the whole, during the seasonal development, sterile and fertile fronds had a similar photosynthetic behaviour, as inferred from fluorescence data. At the end of spore maturation and dispersal (September-October), the fertile fronds showed somewhat lower photosynthetic performance than the sterile fronds, as revealed by PIABS. Being a long-lived fern, confined to humid and undisturbed sites in the Mediterranean, D. affinis deserves to be further investigated as a potential indicator of ecological continuity in Mediterranean riparian forests.

Keywords: chlorophyll fluorescence induction; JIP-test; Mediterranean area; performance index; photosynthesis; pteridophytes

Received: February 9, 2012; Accepted: December 18, 2012; Published: June 1, 2013Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Paoli, L., & Landi, M. (2013). The photosynthetic performance of sterile and fertile sporophytes in a natural population of the fern Dryopteris affinis. Photosynthetica51(2), 312-316. doi: 10.1007/s11099-013-0022-5.
Download citation

References

  1. Barrington, D.S.: Ecological and historical factors in fern biogeography. - J. Biogeogr. 20: 275-280, 1993. Go to original source...
  2. Bauer, H., Gallmetzer, C., Sato, T.: Phenology and photosynthetic activity in sterile and fertile sporophytes of Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott. - Oecologia 86: 159-162, 1991. Go to original source...
  3. Gratani, L., Crescente, M.F., Rossi, G.: Photosynthetic performance and water use efficiency of the fern Cheilanthes persica. - Photosynthetica 35: 507-516, 1998. Go to original source...
  4. Landi, M., Zoccola A., Bacaro G., Angiolini, C.: Phenology of Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and Polysticum aculeatum: modeling relationships to the climatic variables in a Mediterranean area. - Plant Spec. Biol. (doi: 10.1111/1442-1984.12000), 2013.
  5. Odland, A.: Frond development and phenology of Thelypteris limbosperma, Athyrium distentifolium, and Matteuccia struthiopteris in Western Norway. - Nord. J. Bot. 15: 225-236, 1995. Go to original source...
  6. Pereira, J.S., Chaves, M.M.: Plant responses to drought under climate changes in Mediterranean type ecosystems. - In: Moreno, J.M., Oechel, W.C. (ed.): Global Changes and Mediterranean Type Ecosystems. Ecological Studies. Pp. 140-160. Springer-Verlag, Berlin - Heidelberg - New York 1995. Go to original source...
  7. Sato, T.: Phenology and wintering capacity of sporophytes and gametophytes of ferns native to northern Japan. - Oecologia 55: 53-61, 1982. Go to original source...
  8. Stirbet, A., Govindjee: On the relation between the Kautsky effect (chlorophyll a fluorescence induction) and Photosystem II: Basics and applications of the OJIP fluorescence transient. - J. Photochem. Photobiol. B. 104: 236-257, 2011. Go to original source...
  9. Strasser, R.J., Srivastava, A., Govindjee: Polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence transient in plants and cyanobacteria. - Photochem. Photobiol. 61: 32-42, 1995. Go to original source...
  10. Strasser, R.J., Srivastava, A., Tsimilli-Michael, M.: The fluorescence transient as a tool to characterise and screen photosynthetic samples. - In: Yunus, M., Pathre, U., Mohanty, P. (ed.): Probing Photosynthesis: Mechanisms, Regulation and Adaptation. Pp. 445-483. Taylor & Francis, London 2000.
  11. Strasser, R.J., Tsimilli-Michael, M., Srivastava, A.: Analysis of the fluorescence transient. - In: Papageorgiou, G.C., Govindjee (ed.): Chlorophyll Fluorescence: a Signature of Photosynthesis, Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration Series. Pp. 321-362. Springer, Dordrecht 2004. Go to original source...
  12. Tájek, P., Bucharová, A., Münzbergová, Z.: Limitation of distribution of two rare ferns in fragmented landscape. - Acta Oecol. 37: 495-502, 2011. Go to original source...
  13. Tani, T., Kudo, G.: Storage ability of overwintering leaves and rhizomes in a semi-evergreen fern, Dryopteris crassirhizoma (Dryopteridaceae). - Ecol. Res. 18: 15-24, 2003. Go to original source...
  14. Volkova, L., Bennett L.T., Tausz, M.: Diurnal and seasonal variations in photosynthetic and morphological traits of the tree ferns Dicksonia antarctica (Dicksoniaceae) and Cyathea australis (Cyatheaceae) in wet sclerophyll forests of Australia. - Environ. Exp. Bot. 70: 11-19, 2011. Go to original source...
  15. Williams-Linera, G.: Phenology of deciduous and broadleavedevergreen tree species in a Mexican tropical lower montane forest. - Global Ecol. Biogeogr. 6: 115-127, 1997. Go to original source...