Photosynthetic Traits of Páramo Plants Subjected to Short-Term Warming in OTC Chambers

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 22; p. 3110
• Main Authors: Solarte, María Elena, Solarte Erazo, Yisela, Ramírez Cupacán, Elizabeth, Enríquez Paz, Camila, Melgarejo, Luz Marina, Lasso, Eloisa, Flexas, Jaume, Gulias, Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.11.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Alpine ecosystems; Alpine flora; Anthropogenic factors; Carboxylation; Chambers; Climate change; Comparative analysis; Design of experiments; Ecosystems; Environmental aspects; Global warming; Heat; Humidity; Land use; land use history; Measurement; Nonprescription drugs; open top chamber OTC; Photochemicals; Photosynthesis; Physiological aspects; Precipitation; Protection and preservation; páramo; Respiration; Ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase; Soil conditions; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Temperature; Transpiration; Vegetation; Colombia; open top chamber OTC; land use history; páramo; photosynthesis; climate change
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants11223110

Global warming and changes in land use are some of the main threats to high mountain species. Both can interact in ways not yet assessed. In this study, we evaluated the photosynthetic responses of six common páramo species within a warming experiment using open-top chambers (OTC) in conserved páramo areas with different land use histories. We did not find significant differences in the photochemical performance of the species as measured through Fv/Fm, ETR, and NPQ in response to passive warming, indicating that warmed plants are not stressed. However, NPQ values were higher in recovering areas, especially in the driest and warmest months. Leaf transpiration, stomatal conductance, and Ci were not affected by the OTC or the land use history. The photosynthetic capacity, maximum photosynthetic capacity, and carboxylation rate of RuBisCO increased in response to warming but only in the area with no anthropogenic intervention. These results suggest that species will respond differently to warming depending on the history of páramo use, and therefore not all páramo communities will respond equally to climate change. In disturbed sites with altered soil conditions, plants could have a lower breadth of physiological response to warming.