Root: shoot ratio as a balance between nitrogen productivity and photosynthesis

Abstract It is shown how root : shoot ratios can be derived from two plant characteristics, (i) the nitrogen productivity (amount of biomass produced per unit of nitrogen in the biomass and per unit of time) and (ii) the relationship between photo-synthetic rate and internal nitrogen concentration. Derived root: shoot ratios are compared with experimental data for seedlings of seven tree species grown with stable internal nitrogen concentrations. Agreement is good but more exact knowledge of the relationship between nutrient status and photosynthesis is needed. It is shown that a formula derived for the root: shoot ratio can also be applied under non-steady-state conditions.     

Regulation of photosynthetic carbon metabolism during phosphate limitation of photosynthesis in isolated spinach chloroplasts

Intact chloroplasts isolated from spinach were illuminated in the absence of inorganic phosphate (Pi) or with optimum concentrations of Pi added to the reaction medium. In the absence of Pi photosynthesis declined after the first 1–2 min and was less than 10% of the maximum rate after 5 min. Export from the chloroplast was inhibited, with up to 60% of the ¹⁴C fixed being retained in the chloroplast, compared to less than 20% in the presence of Pi. Despite the decreased export, chloroplasts depleted of Pi had lower levels of triose phosphate while the percentage of total phosphate in 3-phosphoglycerate was increased. Chloroplast ATP declined during Pi depletion and reached dark levels after 3–4 min in the light without added Pi. At this point, stromal Pi concentration was 0.2 mM, which would be limiting to ATP synthesis. Addition of Pi resulted in a rapid burst of oxygen evolution which was not initially accompanied by net CO₂ fixation. There was a large decrease in 3-phosphoglycerate and hexose plus pentose monophosphates in the chloroplast stroma and a lesser decrease in fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. Stromal levels of triose phosphate, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate and ATP increased after resupply of Pi. There was an increased export of ¹⁴-labelled compounds into the medium, mostly as triose phosphate. Light activation of both fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase was decreased in the absence of Pi but increased following Pi addition.It is concluded that limitation of Pi supply to isolated chloroplasts reduced stromal Pi to the point where it limits ATP synthesis. The resulting decrease in ATP inhibits reduction of 3-phosphoglycerate to triose phosphate via mass action effects on 3-phosphoglycerate kinase. The lack of Pi in the medium also inhibits export of triose phosphate from the chloroplast via the phosphate transporter. Other sites of inhibition of photosynthesis during Pi limitation may be located in the regeneratige phase of the reductive pentose phosphate pathway.Abbreviations FBP Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate - FBPase Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase - MP Hexose plus pentose monophosphates - PGA 3-phosphoglycerate - Pi inorganic orthophosphate - RuBP ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate - RuBPCase ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase - TP Triose Phosphate     

过量施氮对冬小麦生产力的影响

设置0、70、140、210和280 kg N·hm ^-2 5个施N梯度, 对冬小麦(Triticum aestivum)旗叶光合速率(A_leaf)、群体冠层光合速率(A_canopy)、作物生长速率(CGR)和籽粒产量(GY) 4个生产力水平进行综合观测研究, 结果发现: 在0-210 kg N·hm ^-2区间, A_leaf、A_canopy、CGR和GY都随施N量的增大而增大; 在施N量由210增加到280 kg N·hm ^-2时, GY没有显著变化, 而灌浆期A_leaf、开花期和灌浆期A_canopy、开花-成熟阶段CGR有显著减小。综合分析认为: 1)过量施N (280 kg N·hm ^-2)能显著降低灌浆期冬小麦A_leaf、A_canopy和CGR, 进而抑制GY; 2)过量施N对冬小麦光合生产力的抑制作用主要发生在灌浆期; 3)在A_leaf、A_canopy、CGR和GY 4个生产力指标中, A_canopy对过量施N的反应最敏感。     

植物的光合作用与光合氮、碳代谢的耦联及调节

概述了光合作用反应与CO2同化和NO^-3/NO^-2还原的耦联关系,提出了应该从氮,碳代谢整合角度讨论作动和光合作用,以便根据生产目的,调节作物的氮,碳代谢,实现农业生产的高产,优质。     

The photosynthesis – leaf nitrogen relationship at ambient and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide: a meta-analysis

Estimation of leaf photosynthetic rate (A) from leaf nitrogen content (N) is both conceptually and numerically important in models of plant, ecosystem, and biosphere responses to global change. The relationship between A and N has been studied extensively at ambient CO₂ but much less at elevated CO₂. This study was designed to (i) assess whether the A–N relationship was more similar for species within than between community and vegetation types, and (ii) examine how growth at elevated CO₂ affects the A–N relationship. Data were obtained for 39 C3 species grown at ambient CO₂ and 10 C3 species grown at ambient and elevated CO₂. A regression model was applied to each species as well as to species pooled within different community and vegetation types. Cluster analysis of the regression coefficients indicated that species measured at ambient CO₂ did not separate into distinct groups matching community or vegetation type. Instead, most community and vegetation types shared the same general parameter space for regression coefficients. Growth at elevated CO₂ increased photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency for pines and deciduous trees. When species were pooled by vegetation type, the A–N relationship for deciduous trees expressed on a leaf-mass basis was not altered by elevated CO₂, while the intercept increased for pines. When regression coefficients were averaged to give mean responses for different vegetation types, elevated CO₂ increased the intercept and the slope for deciduous trees but increased only the intercept for pines. There were no statistical differences between the pines and deciduous trees for the effect of CO₂. Generalizations about the effect of elevated CO₂ on the A–N relationship, and differences between pines and deciduous trees will be enhanced as more data become available.     

Underwater light penetration,phytoplankton biomass and photosynthetic activity in Lake Xolotlán (Managua)

We measured underwater light penetration, phytoplankton biomass and photosynthetic activity during three years (1987–1990) in Lake Xolotlán (L. Managua), Nicaragua. Phytoplankton biomass governed the light climate of the photic zone, but as biomass also was composed of a varying proportion of dead algae, light availability for the potential biomass of actively photosynthesizing algae (170 mg Chl-a.m^–2) was reduced. The concentration of chlorophyll-a within the photic zone was thus lower and ranged between 58 and 141 mg Chl-a.m^–2. Still, photosynthetic activity was high (2,162 mg 02.m-2.h^–1) due to an extremely high specific rate of photosynthesis; light was the only factor that limited growth. As also other conditions in Lake Xolotlán, beside light limitation, met with the requirements of the models that have been used to analyse production and photosynthetic characteristics in tropical lakes there was a striking agreement between observed and predicted values.     

鼎湖山森林群落的光能利用效率

本文研究了鼎湖山自然保护区,亚热带季风常绿阔叶林和针叶阔叶混交林的光能利用效率。根据群落的垂直结构和成层现象,应用红外线CO_2气体分析法,分层测定了主要植物22种58株的光合速率.计算了群落的生产力;用量子传感器分层测定了两个群落的光合有效辐射,并计算其光能利用效率。结果表明:阔叶林总生产力的光能利用效率为14.28%,混交林为12.01%,说明了不同森林类型对光能资源的利用效率。     

“双碳”目标下京津冀地区碳足迹变化及其影响因素

在“双碳”目标背景下,定量评估与分析碳足迹的变化对碳排放“双控”具有重要意义。以京津冀地区为研究对象,基于2005—2021年土地利用数据、植被净初级生产力(NPP)数据以及碳排放数据对碳足迹进行测度,并分析其变化趋势及影响因素。研究发现:(1)研究期内京津冀地区碳排放的多年平均值为0.11 Pg C/a,平均增速为3.35%,且整体呈现出显著增长的趋势;NPP的多年平均值为0.35 Pg C/a,平均增速为0.25%,整体呈现出上下波动的态势;(2)研究期内京津冀地区的碳足迹和碳赤字总体表现出明显上升趋势,年均增长率分别为3.28%和1.27%,同时碳足迹的变动呈现“东北-西南”的空间分布格局,且存在明显的区域差异性,碳足迹压力指数表现出多极化趋势;(3)城镇化率是影响京津冀地区碳足迹变化的核心驱动因素,且其变动也受多因子共同作用,尤其是城镇化率与能源效率交互作用对碳足迹的影响最为显著。     

Changing Global Climate: Historical Carbon and Nitrogen Budgets and Projected Responses of Ohio’s Cropland Ecosystems

As the evidence of global climate change continues to mount, its consequences for cropland productivity assume particular significance. Against the backdrop of past agricultural practices, simulation models offer a glimpse into the future, showing the effect of temperature changes on crop production. In this study, we first quantified the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) budgets of Ohios cropland ecosystems using inventory yield data of corn for grain, oat, and all wheat for the period 1866–1996 and soybean for the period 1924–96. Then we explored the responses of Ohios continuous soybean croplands to changes in temperature, carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration, initial soil organic C and N (SOC-N) pools, soil texture, and management practices by developing a simple cropland ecosystem model (CEM) and performing a long-term sensitivity analysis. Finally, CEM simulations were evaluated against independent observations of SOC values (0–19 cm) averaged over 470 northwest Ohio sites between 1954 and 1987 under conventional tillage and rotations of corn–soybean–winter wheat by using the historical yield data (r ² = 0.8). The C contents per hectare of crop harvests increased by 178% for oats, 300% for corn for grain, and 652% for all wheat between 1866 and 1996 and by 305% for soybean between 1924 and 1996. Ohio croplands acted as C–N sources, releasing average net ecosystem emissions (NEE), including the removal of harvested C–N, of 4,598 kg CO₂ ha^–1 and 141 kg N ha^–1 in 1886 and 205 kg CO₂ ha^–1 (except for the corn-for-grain cropland) and 39 kg N ha^–1 in 1996. The continuous corn croplands continued to become a C sink, sequestering 255 kg C ha^–1 in 1996. Results of the sensitivity analysis for Ohios continuous soybean croplands revealed that the SOC pool increased by 6.9% and decreased by 7.5% in response to a doubled CO₂ concentration and a temperature increase of 2.8°C over 100 years, respectively. The sequestration potential of the SOC pool increased by 6.5% at a rate of 24.6 kg C ha^–1 y^–1 for the same period with finer soil texture (loam to silty clay loam). The shift from conventional to conservation residue practice led to an 11% increase in the steady-state SOC storage at a rate of 42 kg C ha^–1 y^–1 for 100 years.     

The Calvin cycle revisited

The sequence of reactions in the Calvin cycle, and the biochemical characteristics of the enzymes involved, have been known for some time. However, the extent to which any individual enzyme controls the rate of carbon fixation has been a long standing question. Over the last 10 years, antisense transgenic plants have been used as tools to address this and have revealed some unexpected findings about the Calvin cycle. It was shown that under a range of environmental conditions, the level of Rubisco protein had little impact on the control of carbon fixation. In addition, three of the four thioredoxin regulated enzymes, FBPase, PRKase and GAPDH, had negligible control of the cycle. Unexpectedly, non-regulated enzymes catalysing reversible reactions, aldolase and transketolase, both exerted significant control over carbon flux. Furthermore, under a range of growth conditions SBPase was shown to have a significant level of control over the Calvin cycle. These data led to the hypothesis that increasing the amounts of these enzymes may lead to an increase in photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Remarkably, photosynthetic capacity and growth were increased in tobacco plants expressing a bifunctional SBPase/FBPase enzyme. Future work is discussed which will further our understanding of this complex and important pathway, particularly in relation to the mechanisms that regulate and co-ordinate enzyme activity.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Role of the Apoplast in the Control of Assimilate Transport,Photosynthesis, and Plant Productivity

A concept is suggested, which supposes that assimilates are transferred within the plant downward through phloem sieve tubes and, after entering the stem apoplast, are carried up with the ascending flow of transpiration water. After entering the apoplast of fully expanded leaves, these solutes are reexported through the phloem. Thus, a common pool of assimilates with uniform concentration is formed in the plant apoplast. According to this concept, the mechanism of assimilate demand represents a response of photosynthetic apparatus to changes in the apoplastic level of metabolites consumed by sink organs. The ratios of labeled photoassimilates differ between the apoplast and mesophyll cells. Most of the apoplastic labeled carbon is contained in sucrose, less in amino acids, and even less in hexoses. The ¹⁴C-labeling of amino acids increases and the sucrose/hexose labeling ratio decreased under conditions of enhanced nitrate supply. The well-known effect of relative inhibition of assimilate export from leaves under conditions of enhanced nitrogen supply is explained by an enhanced hydrolysis of apoplast-derived sucrose due to the increase in invertase activity, rather than by diversion of primary photosynthetic products from sucrose synthesis to other pathways required for activated growth processes in leaves. This notion is based on observations that the sucrose/hexose ratio is reduced to a greater extent in the apoplast than in the symplast. The last assumption was supported by data obtained after artificial changes in the apoplastic pH. In these experiments intact plants were placed in the atmosphere of NH₃ or HCl vapors, which induced opposite changes in relative content of labeled assimilates in the apoplast and in the photosynthetic rate.