High Photosynthetic Capacity in a Shade-Tolerant Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Plant (Implications for Sunfleck Use,Nonphotochemical Energy Dissipation,and Susceptibility to Photoinhibition)

Aechmea magdalenae Andre ex Baker, a constitutive Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant from the shaded Panamanian rain forest understory, has a maximum photosynthesis rate 2 to 3 times that of co-occurring C3 species and a limited potential for photosynthetic acclimation to high light. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated that (a) compared with co-occurring C3 species, photosynthetic electron transport in A. magdalenae responded more rapidly to light flecks of moderate intensity, attained a higher steady-state rate, and maintained a lower reduction state of plastoquinone during light flecks; (b) these characteristics were associated with phase III CO2 fixation of CAM; (c) when grown in full sun, A. magdalenae was chronically photoinhibited despite a remarkably high nonphotochemical quenching capacity, indicating a large potential for photoprotection; and (d) the degree of photoinhibition was inversely proportional to the length of phase III. Results from the light fleck studies suggest that understory A. magdalenae plants can make more efficient use of sun flecks for leaf carbon gain over most of the day than co-occurring C3 species. The association between the duration of phase III and the degree of photoinhibition for A. magdalenae in high light is discussed in relation to the limited photosynthetic plasticity in this species.     

Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Ratios in Bromeliads Growing under Different Light Environments in Natural Conditions

Wild Ananas species in northern South America occur in shady environments and appear to be relatively intolerant to droughts associated with growth under full sun exposure. This behaviour contrasts with the higher productivity of commercial varieties of Ananas comosus when grown under full sun exposure. Such differentiation within the genus offers an opportunity to study the process of adaptation of apparently high light avoiding species into true sun plants. As a first approximation, the analysis of nitrogen content and carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of bromeliads growing under natural conditions was undertaken to test the following hypotheses: 1. Leaf nitrogen content of plants grown under partial shade is higher than that of the same species in the same habitat growing under full sun exposure, due to the higher availability to nitrogen in the under-canopy, but also to the lower proportion of structural carbohydrates in shade leaves; 2. δ¹³C values are usually more negative in CAM bromeliads growing under partial shade because of the lower contribution of CAM to total carbon gain, and the probable fixation of CO₂ originating from soil respiration; 3. δD values of CAM bromeliads are less negative than those of C3 bromeliads, but CAM bromeliads grown in shady habitats tend to have more negative δD values because of the lower relative accumulation of deuterium in leaf tissue water, and also because of their relatively lower CAM activity. The results show a clear differentiation between CAM and C3 bromeliads based on δ¹³C values, and in general δD values are less negative in CAM bromeliads. However, in several species overlapping δD values between C3 and CAM bromeliads were observed. The analysis of paired samples of the same species grown under contrasting light intensity usually conformed with the expectations. A number of deviations from the hypotheses were observed which appeared to be related to particular environmental conditions. The interpretation of δD values obtained from total organic matter is made difficult by the local variation of hydrogen/deuterium ratios in water available to the plant.     

Relative importance of photosynthetic traits and allocation patterns as correlates of seedling shade tolerance of 13 tropical trees

Among 13 tropical tree species on Barro Colorado Island, species with high seedling mortality rates during the first year in shade had higher reltive growth rates (RGR) from germination to 2 months in both sun (23% full sun) and shade [2%, with and without lowered red: far red (R:FR) ratio] than shade tolerant species. Species with higher RGR in sun also had higher RGR in shade. These interspecific trends could be explained by differences in morphological traits and allocation paterns among species. Within each light regime, seedlings of shade-intolerant species had lower root: shoot ratios, higher leaf mass per unit area, and higher leaf area ratios (LAR) than shade tolerant species. In contrast, leaf gas exchange characteristics, or acclimation potential in these traits, had no relationship with seedling mortality rates in shade. In both shade tolerant and intolerant species, light saturated photosynthesis rates, dark respiration, and light compensation points were higher for sungrown seedlings than for shade-grown seedlings. Differences in R:FR ratio in shade did not affect gas exchange, allocation patterns, or growth rates of any species. Survival of young tree seedlings in shade did not depend on higher net photosynthesis or biomass accumulation rates in shade. Rather, species with higher RGR died faster in shade than species with lower RGR. This trend could be explained if survival depends on morphological characteristics likely to enhance defense against herbivores and pathogens, such as dense and tough leaves, a well-established root system, and high wood density. High construction costs for these traits, and low LAR as a consequence of these traits, should result in lower rates of whole-plant carbon gain and RGR for shade tolerant species than shade-intolerant species in shade as well as in sun.     

Scaling sun and shade photosynthetic acclimation of Alocasia macrorrhiza to whole-plant performance – II. Simulation of carbon balance and growth at different photon flux densities

A whole-plant carbon balance model incorporating a light acclimation response was developed for Alocasia macrorrhiza based on empirical data and the current understanding of light acclimation in this species. The model was used to predict the relative growth rate (RGR) for plants that acclimated to photon flux density (PFD) by changing their leaf type, and for plants that produced only sun or shade leaves regardless of PFD. The predicted RGR was substantially higher for plants with shade leaves than for those with sun leaves at low PFD. However, the predicted RGR was not higher, and in fact was slightly lower, for plants with sun leaves than for those with shade leaves at high PFD. The decreased leaf area ratios (LARs) of the plants with sun leaves counteracted their higher photosynthetic capacities per unit leaf area (A_max). The model was manipulated by changing parameters to examine the sensitivity of RGR to variation in single factors. Overall, RGR was most sensitive to LAR and showed relatively little sensitivity to variation in A_max or maintenance respiration. Similarly, RGR was relatively insensitive to increases in leaf life-span beyond those observed. Respiration affected RGR only at low PFD, whereas A_max was moderately important only at high PFD.     

Interspecific Variation in RGR and the Underlying Traits among 24 Grass Species Grown in Full Daylight

Abstract: A growth analysis was conducted with 24 central European grass species in full daylight to test whether traits underlying interspecific variation in relative growth rate (RGR) are the same in full daylight as they are at lower light, and whether this depends on the ecological characteristics of the studied species, i.e., their requirements with respect to nutrient and light availability.
In contrast to studies with herbaceous species at lower light, net assimilation rate (NAR) contributed more than leaf area ratio (LAR) or specific leaf area (SLA) to interspecific variation in RGR. This was associated with a larger interspecific variation in NAR than found in experiments with lower light. Without the two most shade-tolerant species, however, the contribution of LAR and its components to interspecific variation in RGR was similar or even higher than that of NAR.
Leaf dry matter content correlated negatively with RGR and was the only component of LAR contributing in a similar manner to variation in LAR and RGR. There was a positive correlation between NAR and biomass allocation to roots, which may be a result of nutrient-limited growth. RGR correlated negatively with biomass allocation to leaves. Leaf thickness did not correlate with RGR, as the positive effect of thin leaves was counterbalanced by their lower NAR.
Low inherent RGR was associated with species from nutrient-poor or shady habitats. Different components constrained growth for these two groups of species, those from nutrient-poor habitats having high leaf dry matter content, while those from shady habitats had thin leaves with low NAR.     

Chinanteco management ofAechmea Magdalenae: Implications for the use of TEK and TRM in management plans

The importance of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and traditional resource management (TRM) into resource management plans is increasingly recognized, but little quantitative data exists on the ecological and economic implications of these systems. We quantitatively evaluate the TEK and TRM associated with the nontimber forest species, Aechmea magdalenae, in indigenous Chinanteco communities in Mexico. Two TRM systems forA. magdalenae are described and their effects on growth rates of individuals and populations are measured. Simulations using matrix population models combined with yield experiments reveal that one management system is higher yielding and less costly than the other. Thinning and transplanting are two of the most important management practices that enable populations to withstand higher rates of harvest than those predicted in a management plan that was not based on TRM. Quantitative evaluation of Chinanteco TEK is used to discuss how it may be best combined with science in management plans for nontimber forest species.     

Functional analysis of the relative growth rate, chemical composition, construction and maintenance costs, and the payback time of Coffea arabica L. leaves in response to light and water availability

In this study, the combined effects of light and water availability on the functional relationships of the relative growth rate (RGR), leaf chemical composition, construction and maintenance costs, and benefits in terms of payback time for Coffea arabica are presented. Coffee plants were grown for 8 months in 100% or 15% full sunlight and then a four-month water shortage was implemented. Plants grown under full sunlight were also transferred to shade and vice versa. Overall, most of the traits assessed were much more responsive to the availability of light than to the water supply. Larger construction costs (12%), primarily associated with elevated phenol and alkaloid pools, were found under full sunlight. There was a positive correlation between these compounds and the RGR, the mass-based net carbon assimilation rate and the carbon isotope composition ratio, which, in turn, correlated negatively with the specific leaf area. The payback time was remarkably lower in the sun than in shade leaves and increased greatly in water-deprived plants. The differences in maintenance costs among the treatments were narrow, with no significant impact on the RGR, and there was no apparent trade-off in resource allocation between growth and defence. The current irradiance during leaf bud formation affected both the specific leaf area and leaf physiology upon transferring the plants from low to high light and vice versa. In summary, sun-grown plants fixed more carbon for growth and secondary metabolism, with the net effect of an increased RGR.     

Phenotypic plasticity and growth temperature: understanding interspecific variability

The subject of this review is the impact of long-term changes in temperature on plant growth and its underlying components. The discussion highlights the extent to which thermal acclimation of metabolism is intrinsically linked to the plasticity of a range of biochemical and morphological traits. The fact that there is often a trade-off between temperature-mediated changes in net assimilation rates (NAR) and biomass allocation [in particular the specific leaf area (SLA)] when plants are grown at different temperatures is also highlighted. Also discussed is the role of temperature-mediated changes in photosynthesis and respiration in determining NAR values. It is shown that in comparisons that do not take phylogeny into account, fast-growing species exhibit greater temperature-dependent changes in RGR, SLA, and NAR than slow-growing plants. For RGR and NAR, such trends are maintained within phylogenetically independent contrasts (i.e. species adapted to more-favourable habitats consistently exhibit greater temperature-mediated changes than their congeneric counterparts adapted to less-favourable habitats). By contrast, SLA was not consistently more thermally plastic in species from favourable habitats. Interestingly, biomass allocation between leaves and roots was consistently more plastic in slow-growing species within individual phylogenetically independent contrasts, when plants were grown under contrasting temperatures. Finally, how interspecific variations in NAR account for an increasing proportion of variability in RGR as growth temperatures decrease is highlighted. Conversely, SLA played a more dominant role in determining interspecific variability in RGR at higher growth temperatures; thus, the importance of SLA in determining interspecific variation in RGR could potentially increase if annual mean temperatures increase in the future.     

Carotenoid composition and metabolism in green and blue-green algal lichens in the field

The carotenoid composition of 33 species of green algal lichens and 5 species of blue-green algal lichens was examined and compared with that of the leaves of higher plants. As in higher plants, green algal lichen species which were found in both shade and full sunlight exhibited higher levels of the carotenoids involved in photoprotective thermal energy dissipation (zeaxanthin as well as the total xanthophyll cycle pool) in the sun than in the shade. This was particularly true when thalli were moist during exposure to high light, or presumably became desiccated in full sunlight. However, the reverse trend in the carotenoid composition of green algal lichens was also observed in those species which were found predominantly either in the shade or in full sunlight. In this case sun-exposed lichens often possessed lower levels of zeaxanthin and of the components of the xanthophyll cycle than lichens which were found in the shade. In contrast to higher plants, the lichens from all habitats exhibited a relatively high ratio of carotenoids to chlorophylls (more characteristic of sun leaves), very low levels of α-carotene (similar to that found in sun leaves), and a level of β-carotene similar to that found in shade leaves. Zeaxanthin, but not the expoxides of the xanthophyll cycle, was also frequently found in blue-green algal lichens. A trend for increasing levels of zeaxanthin with increasing growth light regime was observed inPeltigera rufescens, the species which was found to occur over the widest range of light environments. The level of zeaxanthin per chlorophylla in these blue-green algal lichens was in a range similar to that per chlorophylla+b in green algal lichens. However, zeaxanthin was also absent in one species,Collema cristatum, in full sunlight. Thus, the zeaxanthin content of the blue-green algal lichens can be similar to that of higher plants, or it can be rather dissimilar, as was also the case in the green algal lichen species. The presence of large amounts of ketocarotenoids in blue-green algal lichens is also noteworthy.     

The effect of potassium on growth of Carex species from swamp habitats varying from oligotrophic to eutrophic and comparison of physiological reactions of Carex species to P stress and K stress

In a growth experiment at potassium levels varying between 0.001 m M and 3.0 m M potassium, relative growth rate (RGR) and other growth parameters were determined in Carex species: C. rostrata Stokes, C. limosa L., C. lasiocarpa Ehrh., C. diandra Schrank and C. acutiformis Ehrh., listed in order of increasing nutrient availability of their habitats. Carex species of nutrient poor sites did grow faster at low potassium concentration than species from nutrient rich habitats. The RGR of C. limosa was not affected by the K concentration, even at the lowest potassium concentration (0.001) m M ) used. At high potassium availability Carex species from nutrient-rich sites responded with greatly increased RGR, whereas the Carex from nutrient-poor sites absorbed potassium in excess of immediate growth requirements: luxury consumption. A comparison is made of the physiology of the Carex species as affected by stress and abundance of phosphate and potassium.     

Temperature responses of growth and photosynthetic CO2 exchange rates in coastal and desert races of Atriplex lentiformis

Summary Comparative measurements of CO₂ exchange and growth rates were made on Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) Wats. plants from populations native to coastal as well as desert habitats in southern California. While both had similar CO₂ exchange rates at moderate growth temperatures, the desert plants had a substantially greater capacity to acclimate to high growth temperatures indicating that clear ecotypic differences in acclimation capacity are present in this species. This large capacity for photosynthetic acclimation resulted in nearly equal CO₂ exchange rates of the desert plants under the different day temperatures characteristic of the desert habitat during the summer and winter months. In contrast, the photosynthetic CO₂ exchange rates of the coastal plants was markedly reduced by high growth temperatures. The large acclimation capacity of the desert plants may function to maintain high productivities during both the winter and summer months but would not be required in the coastal plants because of the moderate temperatures throughout the year in their native habitat.Relative growth rates (RGR) of the coastal and desert plants were similar at 23°C day/18°C night and 33°C day/25°C night growth temperatures. At 43°C day/30°C night temperatures, however, the RGR of the desert plants was higher than that of the coastal plants. Thus, the larger acclimation capacity of the desert plants is related to a greater ability to maintain high growth rates over a wide range of temperatures as compared to the coastal plants. Small differences in allocation patterns could account for differences in the comparative photosynthetic responses and growth rates in each temperature regime.Supported by National Science Foundation grant # GB 36311     

四种亚高山针叶林树种的表型可塑性对不同光照强度的响应

以青藏高原东缘亚高山针叶林群落演替后期种岷江冷杉、演替中后期种粗枝云杉和青榨槭、及先锋树种红桦为材料,研究了不同光强下生长的4种树苗生长、生物量分配、叶片形态和光合特性,探讨植物幼苗的形态和生理特征的表型可塑性与光适应的关系。结果表明：（1）弱光环境中生长的4种植物的基茎、相对生长速率、叶片厚度、根重比、最大净光合速率、光饱和点、光补偿点、暗呼吸速率较低,而比叶面积、地上／地下生物量、茎长／茎重、叶重比和茎重比较高。（2）大部分光环境下岷江冷杉幼苗的最大净光合速率和暗呼吸速率低于粗枝云杉,青榨槭幼苗的最大净光合速率和暗呼吸速率略低于红桦。（3）高光强下生长的粗枝云杉和红桦幼苗的相对生长速率分别大于岷江冷杉和青榨槭,但在低光强下则与之相反。（4）粗枝云杉和红桦幼苗的11种可塑性指数平均值则分别大于岷江冷杉和青榨槭。岷江冷杉适应弱光环境的能力略强于粗枝云杉和红桦,但适应强光的能力较差。生理适应的可塑性指数大于形态适应的可塑性指数,表明前者在4种植物幼苗光适应方面起到了重要的作用。研究结果支持树种的生理生态特性决定了其演替状况和生境选择的假说。     

伞形科两种植物幼苗生长对光照强度的可塑性响应

将明党参（Changium smyrnioides Wolff）和峨参（Anthriscus sylvestris Hoffm．）幼苗置于按全光照百分率为100％（S100）、65％（S65）和25％（S25）的人工控制光环境下处理。结果表明,光照强度显著影响明党参和峨参幼苗的生长：明党参在S6,生长最好,株高、冠幅、叶长、叶宽、地上地下生物量等均达到最大值,且S65的明党参生物量是S100的2倍、S25的3倍左右;而峨参地上部生长随着光照强度的减弱而增强,S25生长最好,但地下部生长则在S65生长最好,表现出与明党参同样的响应规律。明党参在不同光照强度下生长速率差异显著,S65显著高于其余两个处理;峨参虽然也在S65生长速率最大,但在不同光照强度间无差异。明党参生长速率明显小于峨参,总生物量约为峨参的1／3—1／8,相对于峨参而言明党参是一个在幼苗阶段生长缓慢的物种。     

Water stress and light intensity effects on growth and nocturnal acid accumulation in a terrestrial CAM bromeliad (Bromelia humilis Jacq.) under natural conditions

Summary Seasonal variations in CAM performance of sunexposed and partially shaded populations of Bromelia humilis were measured under natural conditions in a semi-arid region in northern Venezuela. The sun population consisted of smaller plants, with lower chlorophyll and total nitrogen contents per unit leaf area compared with plants from the partial-shade population. During the dry season CAM activity, assessed as nocturnal acid accumulation, was higher in the partial-shade population. Acid accumulation was stimulated by irrigation in both populations within 24 h after treatment. Daily changes in concentration of soluble sugars were opposite to leaf acidity indicating their role as carbon source for acid synthesis during the night. The change in nocturnal sugar concentration was always more than the amount required for acid accumulation, suggesting other carbohydrate-consuming processes such as transportation of sugars out of the leaf. CAM activity was higher during the rainy season, and differences between populations were smaller. At the end of the rainy season reduction of CAM activity caused by drought was first detected in the sun population. Measured ratios of glucan/soluble sugar show a higher proportion of readily utilizable sugars during periods of active CAM and growth. Under conditions of continuous high light intensity and air temperature leading to all year round high potential evaporation in semiarid tropical regions, fully exposed populations of B. humilis show a pronounced reduction of metabolic activity. Partial shade favours growth and CAM activity in this constitutive CAM species. It is concluded that water stress, and not light intensity, is the predominant limiting factor for growth of this species under natural conditions.     

Photosynthetic and respiratory acclimation and growth response of Antarctic vascular plants to contrasting temperature regimes

Air temperatures have risen over the past 50 yr along the Antarctic Peninsula, and it is unclear what impact this is having on Antarctic plants. We examined the growth response of the Antarctic vascular plants Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) and Deschampsia antarctica (Poaceae) to temperature and also assessed their ability for thermal acclimation, in terms of whole-canopy net photosynthesis (P(n)) and dark respiration (R(d)), by growing plants for 90 d under three contrasting temperature regimes: 7°C day/7°C night, 12°C day/7°C night, and 20°C day/7°C night (18 h/6 h). These daytime temperatures represent suboptimal (7°C), near-optimal (12°C), and supraoptimal (20°C) temperatures for P(n) based on field measurements at the collection site near Palmer Station along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Plants of both species grown at a daytime temperature of 20°C had greater RGR (relative growth rate) and produced 2.2-3.3 times as much total biomass as plants grown at daytime temperatures of 12° or 7°C. Plants grown at 20°C also produced 2.0-4.1 times as many leaves, 3.4-5.5 times as much total leaf area, and had 1.5-1.6 times the LAR (leaf area ratio; leaf area:total biomass) and 1.1-1.4 times the LMR (leaf mass ratio; leaf mass:total biomass) of plants grown at 12° or 7°C. Greater RGR and biomass production at 20°C appeared primarily due to greater biomass allocation to leaf production in these plants. Rates of P(n) (leaf-area basis), when measured at their respective daytime growth temperatures, were highest in plants grown at 12°C, and rates of plants grown at 20°C were only 58 (C. quitensis) or 64% (D. antarctica) of the rates in plants grown at 12°C. Thus, lower P(n) per leaf area in plants grown at 20°C was more than offset by much greater leaf-area production. Rates of whole-canopy P(n) (per plant), when measured at their respective daytime growth temperatures, were highest in plants grown at 20°C, and appeared well correlated with differences in RGR and total biomass among treatments. Colobanthus quitensis exhibited only a slight ability for relative acclimation of P(n) (leaf-area basis) as the optimal temperature for P(n) increased from 8.4° to 10.3° to 11.5°C as daytime growth temperatures increased from 7° to 12° to 20°C. There was no evidence for relative acclimation of P(n) in D. antarctica, as plants grown at all three temperature regimes had a similar optimal temperature (10°C) for P(n). There was no evidence for absolute acclimation of P(n) in either species, as rates of P(n) in plants grown at a daytime temperature of 12°C were higher than those of plants grown at daytime temperatures of 7° or 20°C, when measured at their respective growth temperatures. The poor ability for photosynthetic acclimation in these species may be associated with the relatively stable maritime temperature regime during the growing season along the Peninsula. In contrast to P(n), both species exhibited full acclimation of R(d), and rates of R(d) on a leaf-area basis were similar among treatments when measured at their respective daytime growth temperature. Our results suggest that in the absence of interspecific competition, continued warming along the Peninsula will lead to improved vegetative growth of these species due to (1) greater biomass allocation to leaf-area production (as opposed to improved rates of P(n) per leaf area) and (2) their ability to acclimate R(d), such that respiratory losses per leaf area do not increase under higher temperature regimes.     

Photosynthetic responses to variable light: a comparison of species from contrasting habitats

Photosynthetic responses to variable light were compared for species from habitats differing in light availability and dynamics. Plants were grown under the same controlled conditions and were analysed for the kinetics of photosynthetic induction when photon flux density (PFD) was increased from 25 to 800 mol m^-2s^-1. Gas exchange techniques were used to analyse the two principal components of induction, opening of stomata and activation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). On average, 90% of the final photosynthetic rate was attained after 7 min for obligate shade plants (two species), 18 min for fast-growing sun plants (seven species from productive habitats) and 32 min for slow-growing sun plants (nine species from unproductive habitats). The rapidity of response of the shade plants was explained by stomata remaining more open in the low-light period prior to induction. This was also observed in two species of deciduous trees, which therefore resembled shade plants rather than other fast-growing sun plants. The slow response of the slow-growing sun plants was the result of lower rates of both Rubisco activation and stomatal opening, the latter being more important for the final phase of induction. The lower rate of Rubisco activation was confirmed by direct, enzymatic measurements of representative plants. With increasing leaf age, the rate of stomatal opening appeared to decrease but the rate of Rubisco activation was largely conserved. Representative species were also compared with respect to the efficiency of using light-flecks relative to continuously high light. The shade plants and the slow-growing sun plants had a higher efficiency than the fast-growing sun plants. This could be related to the presence of a higher electron transport capacity relative to carboxylation capacity in the former group, which seems to be associated with their lower photosynthetic capacities. Representative species were also compared with respect to the ability to maintain the various induction components through periods of low light. Generally, the fast-growing sun plants were less able than the other two categories to maintain the rapidly reversible component. Thus, although the rate of induction appears to be related to the ecology of the plant, other aspects of photosynthetic dynamics, such as the efficiency of using lightflecks and the ability to maintain the rapidly reversible component, seem rather to be inversely related to the photosynthetic capacity.     

Influence of UV radiation on growth of sporelings of three non-geniculate coralline red algae from Southern Iberian Peninsula

The effects of UV radiation (UVR) on growth of sporelings of Melobesia membranacea (Esper) Lamouroux, Lithophyllum incrustans Philippi and Mesophyllum lichenoides (Ellis) Lemoine, were investigated by culturing the algae under different doses of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) only and PAR + UVR. Under natural conditions, the light fields occurring in the habitats of the three species differ substantially. Whereas M. lichenoides and L. incrustans inhabit sun‐exposed places in the eulittoral and upper part of the sublittoral, M. membranacea grows as an epiphyte in shady crevices in the eulittoral, where irradiance is < 10% of that in sun‐exposed places. The relative growth rate (RGR) of sporelings of these non‐geniculate coralline algae was affected by the UVR. The extent of harmful UVR effects on growth rate showed a similar increase as a function of the logarithm of the dose in the three species, inferred by a similar slope in all the linear regressions for a given action spectrum. The inhibition of growth under the PAR + UVR showed similar features in the two species of non‐geniculate coralline species from sun‐exposed places, that is, similar intercepts and slopes in the linear regressions of RGR as a function of the logarithm of the biologically effective dose.     

The nocturnal larvae of a specialist folivore perform better on Chromolaena odorata leaves from a shaded environment

Increasing evidence suggests that individuals of the same plant species occurring in different microhabitats often show a degree of phenotypic and phytochemical variation. Consequently, insect herbivores associated with such plant species must deal with environment‐mediated changes or variability in the traits of their host plants. In this study, we examined the effects of habitat condition (shaded vs. full‐sun habitats) on plant traits and leaf characteristics of the invasive alien plant, Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robinson (Asteraceae). In addition, the performance was evaluated in two generations of a specialist folivore, Pareuchaetes insulata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), on leaves obtained from both shaded and full‐sun habitats. The study was done in an area where the insect was introduced as a biological control agent. Leaves growing in shade were less tough, had higher water and nitrogen content, and lower total non‐structural carbohydrate, compared with leaves growing in full sun. Plants growing in shade had longer leaves and were taller, but above‐ground biomass was significantly reduced compared with plants growing in full sun. In both generations (parents and offspring), P. insulata developed faster and had larger pupal mass, increased growth rate, and higher fecundity when reared on shaded foliage compared with full‐sun foliage. Although immature survival and adult longevity did not differ between habitats, Maw's host suitability index indicated that shaded leaves were more suitable for the growth and reproduction of P. insulata. We suggest that the benefits obtained by P. insulata feeding on shaded foliage are associated with reduced toughness and enhanced nitrogen and water content of leaves. These results demonstrate that light‐mediated changes in plant traits and leaf characteristics can affect insect folivore performance.     

Host Plant Phenotype and the Impact and Development ofCarmenta mimosa,a Biological Control Agent ofMimosa pigrain Australia

The influence of host plant phenotype on the impact caused toMimosa pigraL. (Mimosaceae) plants by the feeding activity of larvae ofCarmenta mimosaEichlin and Passoa (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) and the relationship between plant phenotype (through plant quality) and larval development were investigated under controlled conditions. Plants grown under conditions of reduced light availability were most prone to the detrimental effects of the feeding activities ofC. mimosalarvae. The relative growth rate (RGR) of most plant phenotypes could be reduced when infested withC. mimosalarvae compared to uninfested plants. Small plants infested withC. mimosaand grown under reduced light availability exhibited significant reductions in RGR sooner than large plants grown in full sun. The physical quality of stems was correlated with the severity of impact, i.e., whether stem breakage occurred. Little larval-induced mortality of plants was observed, suggesting that vascular tissues remained sufficiently intact to allow translocation. Systemic stem death arose through infection by secondary pathogens. Differences in biomass of infested versus uninfested plants of all phenotypes were associated with the loss of stems and to a lesser extent leaves. The phenotype of plants had a significant effect on the development ofC. mimosalarvae. Larvae in stems of plants with good access to reserves of soil moisture reached more advanced stages of development sooner than did those in plants which were often water stressed. This response was mediated through the combined influence of availability and nutritional quality of food. The implications of these findings to the impact of this agent in the field and the factors which may significantly influence its population dynamics are discussed.     

The role of CAM in high rainfall cloud forests: an in situ comparison of photosynthetic pathways in Bromeliaceae

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), an advanced photosynthetic pathway conferring water conservation to plants in arid habitats, has enigmatically been reported in some species restricted to extremely wet tropical forests. Of these, epiphytic Bromeliaceae may possess absorbent foliar trichomes that hinder gas‐exchange when wetted, imposing further limitations on carbon dioxide (CO₂) uptake. The hypothesis that the metabolic plasticity inherent to CAM confers an ecological advantage over conventional C₃ plants, when constant rainfall and mist might inhibit gas‐exchange was investigated. Gas‐exchange, fluorometry and organic acid and mineral nutrient contents were compared for the bromeliads Aechmea dactylina (CAM) and Werauhia capitata (C₃) in situ at the Cerro Jefe cloud forest, Panama (annual rainfall > 4 m). Daily carbon gain and photosynthetic nutrient use efficiencies were consistently higher for A. dactylina, due to a greater CO₂ uptake period, recycling of CO₂ from respiration and a dynamic response of CO₂ uptake to wetting of leaf surfaces. During the dry season CAM also had water conserving and photoprotective roles. A paucity of CAM species at Cerro Jefe suggests a recent radiation of this photosynthetic pathway into the wet cloud forest, with CAM extending diversity in form and function for epiphytes.