Photosynthetic variation and carbon isotope discrimination in invasive wetland grasses in response to flooding
► Invasive potential was compared to flooding tolerance in four wetland grasses. ► Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence, and root ADH activity were all indicators of flooding tolerance. ► Invasive Phragmites was the most tolerant of flooding. ► Physiology might be important...
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Published in | Environmental and experimental botany Vol. 77; pp. 77 - 86 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Amsterdam
Elsevier B.V
01.04.2012
Elsevier |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | ► Invasive potential was compared to flooding tolerance in four wetland grasses. ► Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence, and root ADH activity were all indicators of flooding tolerance. ► Invasive
Phragmites was the most tolerant of flooding. ► Physiology might be important in determining community-level processes.
Ecological success is dependent on physiological tolerance to abiotic stress. This is particularly meaningful when considering the success of invasive plants in wetland systems. In this study, physiological flooding tolerance was measured in invasive
Phragmites australis,
Phalaris arundinacea,
Sorghum halepense, and native
Spartina pectinata. Plants were maintained at deep flooding, medium flooding, low flooding, and dry conditions in a greenhouse, and their responses were measured at 7 and 28 days of treatment. Photosynthetic rates in
Sorghum were maximized at deep flooding conditions at 7 days, but at 28 days all deep and medium flooded
Sorghum were dead or dying. Photosynthesis in
Phragmites and
Spartina were saturated at deep flooding conditions whereas photosynthesis was saturated in
Phalaris under medium flooding at 28 days. Increased flooding caused higher stomatal conductance and lower δ
13C in
Phragmites, but the opposite occurred in
Phalaris. As flooding increased for
Sorghum and
Spartina, δ
13C remained unchanged. Activities of the anaerobic respiration enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in roots suggested invasive
Phragmites was the most tolerant of flooding.
Spartina was the next most flood tolerant of the four species, slightly less tolerant compared to
Phragmites.
Phalaris was moderately flood tolerant and
Sorghum was flood sensitive. Invasion of grasses in wetlands might be helped by increased photosynthesis in short-term flooding. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0098-8472 1873-7307 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2011.10.013 |