Enhanced UV-B radiation alleviates the adverse effects of summer drought in two Mediterranean pines under field conditions

The effects of enhanced UV-B (290-320 nm) radiation on two native Mediterranean pines (Pinus pinea L., Pinus halepensis Mill.) were recorded during a one-year field study. Plants received ambient or ambient plus supplemental UV-B radiation (simulating a 15% stratospheric ozone depletion over Patras. Greece, 38.3°N. 29.1°E) and only natural precipitation, i.e. they were simultaneously exposed to other natural stresses. particularly water stress during summer. Supplemental UV-B irradiation started in early February, 1993 and up to late June, no effects were observed on growth and photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, as measured by chlorophy II fluorescence induction. Water stress during the summer was manifested in the control plants as a decline in the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (F_v/F_m), the apparent photon yield for oxygen evolution (φ_l) and the photosynthetic capacity at 5% CO₂ (P_m). In addition, a partial needle loss was evident. Under supplemental UV-B radiation, however, the decreases in F_v/F_m, φ_i, and P_m. as well as needle losses were significantly less. Soon after the first heavy autumn rains. photosynthetic parameters in both control and UV-B treated plants recovered to similar values. but the transient summer superiority of UV-B irradiated plants resulted in a significant increase in their dry weight measured at plant harvest. during late January. 1994. Plant height. UV-B absorbing compounds, photosynthetic pigments and relative water content measured at late spring. late summer and at plant harvest, were not significantly affected by supplemental UV-B radiation. The results indicate that enhanced UV-B radiation may be beneficial for Mediterranean pines through a partial alleviation of the adverse effects of summer drought.     

Response of photosynthesis to high light and drought for Arabidopsis thaliana grown under a UV-B enhanced light regime

Arabidopsis thaliana grown in a light regime that included ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation (6 kJ m⁻² d⁻¹) had similar light-saturated photosynthetic rates but up to 50% lower stomatal conductance rates, as compared to plants grown without UV-B radiation. Growth responses of Arabidopsis to UV-B radiation included lower leaf area (25%) and biomass (10%) and higher UV-B absorbing compounds (30%) and chlorophyll content (52%). Lower stomatal conductance rates for plants grown with UV-B radiation were, in part, due to lower stomatal density on the adaxial surface. Plants grown with UV-B radiation had more capacity to down regulate photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) as shown by up to 25% lower φ_PSII and 30% higher non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence under saturating light. These contributed to a smaller reduction in the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F _v/F _m), greater dark-recovery of F _v/F _m, and higher light-saturated carbon assimilation and stomatal conductance and transpiration rates after a four-hour high light treatment for plants grown with UV-B radiation. Plants grown with UV-B were more tolerant to a 12 day drought treatment than plants grown without UV-B as indicated by two times higher photosynthetic rates and 12% higher relative water content. UV-B-grown plants also had three times higher proline content. Higher tolerance to drought stress for Arabidopsis plants grown under UV-B radiation may be attributed to both increased proline content and decreased stomatal conductance. Growth of Arabidopsis in a UV-B-enhanced light regime increased tolerance to high light exposure and drought stress.     

Field Study of the Interaction between Solar Ultraviolet-B Radiation and Drought on Photosynthesis and Growth in Soybean

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv Essex, plants were grown in the field in a 2 × 2 factorial design, under ambient and supplemental levels of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation (supplemental daily dose of 5.1 effective kilojoules per square meter) and were either well-watered or subjected to drought. Soil water potentials were reduced to −2.0 megapascals by the exclusion of natural precipitation in the drought plots and were maintained at approximately −0.5 megapascal by supplemental irrigation in well-watered plots. Plant growth and gas exchange characteristics were affected under both drought and supplemental UV-B radiation. Whole-leaf gas exchange analysis indicated that stomatal limitations on photosynthesis were only significantly affected by the combination of UV-B radiation and drought but substrate (ribulose bisphosphate) regeneration limitations were observed under either stress. The combined effect of both drought and UV-B radiation on photosynthetic gas exchange was a reduction in apparent quantum efficiency and the rapid appearance of biochemical limitations to photosynthesis concomitant with reduced diffusional limitations. However, the combination of stresses did not result in additive effects on total plant growth or seed yield compared to reductions under either stress independently.     

Photosynthesis of oak trees [Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.] during drought under field conditions: diurnal course of net CO2 assimilation and photochemical efficiency of photosystem II

Adult trees of Quercus petraea were submitted to controlled water shortage in a natural stand near Nancy, France. Diurnal course of net CO₂ assimilation rate (A) was measured in situ together with chlorophyll a fluorescence determined on dark adapted leaves. In 1990, trees experienced a strong water stress, with predawn and midday leaf water potentials below –2·0 and –3·0 MPa, respectively. Diurnal course of A of well-watered trees exhibited sometimes important midday decreases in A related to high temperature and vapour pressure deficit. Decreases in initial (F_o) and maximal (F_m) fluorescence and sometimes in photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F_v/F_m) were observed and probably revealed the onset of mechanisms for thermal de-excitation. These mechanisms were shown to be sensitive to dithiothreitol. All these effects were reversible and vanished almost completely overnight. Therefore, they may be considered as protective mechanisms adjusting activity of photosystem II to the electron requirement for photosynthesis. Water stress amplified these reactions: A was strongly decreased, showing important midday depression; diurnal reductions in F_m and F_v/F_m were enhanced. The same trends were observed during summer 1991, despite a less marked drought. These protective mechanisms seemed very effective, as no photoinhibitory damage to PS II could be detected in either water stressed or control trees.     

Effects of ultraviolet-B radiation on plants during mild water stress. IV. The insensitivity of soybean internal water relations to ultraviolet-B radiation

The combined effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280–320 nm) radiation and water stress were investigated on the water relations of greenhouse grown soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Essex]. On a weighted (Caldwell 1971), total daily dose basis, plants received either 0 or 3 000 effective J m² UV-B_BE supplied by filtered FS-40 sunlamps. The latter dose simulated the solar UV-B radiation anticipated at College Park, Maryland, U.S.A. (39°N latitude) in the event that the global stratospheric ozone column is reduced by 25%. Plants were either well-watered or preconditioned by drought stress cycles. Diurnal measurements of water potential and stomatal conductance were made on the youngest fully expanded leaf. Various internal water relations parameters were determined for detached leaves. Plants were monitored before, during and after water stress. There were no significant differences in leaf water potential or stomatal conductance between treatments before plants were preconditioned to water stress. However, drought stress resulted in significantly lower midday and afternoon leaf water potentials and lower leaf conductances as compared to well-watered plants. UV-B radiation had no additional effect on leaf water potential; however, UV did result in lower leaf conductances in plants preconditioned to water stress. Turgid weight:dry weight ratio, elastic modulus, bound water and relative water content were unaffected by UV-B radiation. Osmotic potentials at full and zero turgor were significantly lower in the drought stressed treatments as compared to well-watered plants.     

A thirty percent increase in UV-B has no impact on photosynthesis in well-watered and droughted pea plants in the field

It has been suggested that field experiments which increase UV-B irradiation by a fixed amount irrespective of ambient light conditions (‘square-wave’), may overestimate the response of photosynthesis to UV-B irradiation. In this study, pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants were grown in the field and subjected to a modulated 30% increase in ambient UK summer UV-B radiation (weighted with an erythemal action spectrum) and a mild drought treatment. UV-A and ambient UV control treatments were also studied. There were no significant effects of the UV-B treatment on the in situ CO₂ assimilation rate throughout the day or on the light-saturated steady-state photosynthesis. This was confirmed by an absence of UV-B effects on the major components contributing to CO₂ assimilation; photosystem II electron transport, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate regeneration, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase carboxylation, and stomatal conductance. In addition to the absence of an effect on photosynthetic activities, UV-B had no significant impact on plant biomass, leaf area or partitioning. UV-B exposure increased leaf flavonoid content. The UV-A treatment had no observable effect on photosynthesis or productivity. Mild drought resulted in reduced biomass, a change in partitioning away from shoots to roots whilst maintaining leaf area, but had no observable effect on photosynthetic competence. No UV-B and drought treatment interactions were observed on photosynthesis or plant biomass. In conclusion, a 30% increase in UV-B had no effects on photosynthetic performance or productivity in well-watered or droughted pea plants in the field.     

Effects of physiological integration on photosynthetic efficiency of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium repens</Emphasis> in response to heterogeneous UV-B radiation

Several studies have found the photosynthetic integration in clonal plants to response to resource heterogeneity, while little is known how it responses to heterogeneity of UV-B radiation. In this study, the effects of heterogeneous UV-B radiation (280–315 nm) on gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of a clonal plant Trifolium repens were evaluated. Pairs of connected and severed ramets of the stoloniferous herb T. repens were grown under the homogeneity (both of ramets received only natural background radiation, ca. 0.6 kJ m⁻² d⁻¹) and heterogeneity of UV-B radiation (one of the ramet received only natural background radiation and the other was exposed to supplemental UV-B radiation, 2.54 kJ m⁻² d⁻¹) for seven days. Stomatal conductance (g _s), intercellular CO₂ concentration (C _i) and transpiration rate (E) showed no significant differences in connected and severed ramets under homogenous and heterogeneous UV-B radiation, however, net photosynthetic rate (P _N) and maximum photosynthetic rate (P _max) of ramets suffered from supplemental increased UV-B radiation and that of its connected sister ramet decreased significantly. Moreover, additive UV-B radiation resulted in a notable decrease of the minimal fluorescence of dark-adapted state (F_o), the electron transport rate (ETR) and photochemical quenching coefficient (q_P) and an increase of nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) under supplemental UV-B radiation, while physiological connection reverse the results. In all, UV-B stressed ramets could benefit from unstressed ramets by physiological integration in photosynthetic efficiency, and clonal plants are able to optimize the efficiency to maintain their presence in less favourable sites.     

Effect of low boron supply in turnip plants under drought stress

Turnip (Brassica rapa L.) plants were grown in Perlite with low (< 2.5 μM) or adequate (25 μM) boron supply under well-watered and drought conditions for 12 weeks. Dry mass of leaves and roots was reduced under drought by about 61 and 56 % in plants supplied adequately with B, while up to 84 and 74 % under B starvation. Drought reduced B content by about 70 and 82 % for B-sufficient and B-deficient plants, respectively. According to the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, the photosynthesis processes conserved their normal activities under low B supply in well-watered plants, while a serious damage to photosystem 2 occurred under drought stress. Stomatal limitation was the most important cause for a 17 % lower net photosynthetic rate (P_N) of drought stressed B-sufficient plants. In B-deficient plants, however, both stomatal and non-stomatal limitations were involved in 53 % reduction of P_N. Low B supply reduced strongly leaf water potential.     

Effects of UV-B radiation on photosynthesis and growth of terrestrial plants

The photosynthetic apparatus of some plant species appears to be well-protected from direct damage from UV-B radiation. Leaf optical properties of these species apparently minimizes exposure of sensitive targets to UV-B radiation. However, damage by UV-B radiation to Photosystem II and Rubisco has also been reported. Secondary effects of this damage may include reductions in photosynthetic capacity, RuBP regeneration and quantum yield. Furthermore, UV-B radiation may decrease the penetration of PAR, reduce photosynthetic and accessory pigments, impair stomatal function and alter canopy morphology, and thus indirectly retard photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Subsequently, UV-B radiation may limit productivity in many plant species. In addition to variability in sensitivity to UV-B radiation, the effects of UV-B radiation are further confounded by other environmental factors such as CO₂, temperature, light and water or nutrient availability. Therefore, we need a better understanding of the mechanisms of tolerance to UV-B radiation and of the interaction between UV-B and other environmental factors in order to adequately assess the probable consequences of a change in solar radiation.Abbreviations A_max light and CO₂ saturated rate of oxygen evolution - Ci internal CO₂ concentration - F_v/F_m ratio of variable to total fluorescence yield - PAR photosynthetically active radiation (400–700 nm) - PS II Photosystem II - _app apparent quantum yield of photosynthesis - SLW specific leaf weight - UV-B ultraviolet-B radiation between 290–320 nm     

UV-B辐射方向对白三叶克隆整合的影响

增强UV-B辐射会对植物生长和生理生化过程产生有害效应。克隆植物中,相连的克隆分株对经常共享资源和激素,然而鲜有关于异质性UV-B辐射下UV-B辐射方向对克隆整合的影响及克隆植物形态结构变化的报道。模拟同质(克隆分株片段均处于自然背景辐射)和异质(克隆分株一端处于自然背景辐射,另一端处于补加的UV-B辐射)UV-B辐射,以克隆植物白三叶为材料,进行连接和隔断处理,研究UV-B辐射方向对克隆整合强度变化、叶片形态结构特化及生理可塑性的影响。结果表明:异质性UV-B辐射下,15N同位素标记端保留的15N百分比高于同质UV-B辐射处理,转移到无标记相连端的15N含量则降低,紫外辐射处理和同位素标记是否处于同一分株端对结果无显著性影响,说明克隆植物白三叶生理整合存在但整合强度降低,辐射方向与克隆整合强度无关;隔断处理组气孔长度增加,栅栏组织增厚,但连接处理组却无此变化,表明生理整合在白三叶叶片形态结构特化中发挥作用。UV-B辐射下,最小荧光、电子传递速率及光化学淬灭系数降低但非光化学淬灭系数升高,而生理整合却使结果相反;叶绿素和紫外吸收物可在异质性UV-B辐射相连的两端运输分享。以上均表明异质UV-B辐射环境中,UV-B辐射胁迫端克隆分株通过生理整合从非胁迫端获益,并以此提高胁迫环境中克隆植物对资源的利用效率。     

Stress Tolerance of Photosystem II in Vivo: Antagonistic Effects of Water, Heat, and Photoinhibition Stresses

The in vivo photochemical activity of photosystem II was inferred from modulated chlorophyll fluorescence and photoacoustic measurements in intact leaves of several plant species (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Solanum tuberosum L., Solanum nigrum L.) exposed to various environmental stresses (drought, heat, strong light) applied separately or in combination. Photosystem II was shown to be highly drought-resistant: even a drastic desiccation in air of detached leaf samples only marginally affected the quantum yield for photochemistry in photosystem II. However, water stress markedly modified the responses of photosystem II to superimposed constraints. The stability of photosystem II to heat was observed to increase strongly in leaves exposed to water stress conditions: heat treatments (e.g. 42°C in the dark), which caused a complete and irreversible inhibition of photosystem II in well-watered (tomato) leaves, resulted in a small and fully reversible reduction of the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II in drought-stressed leaves. In vivo photoacoustic data indicated that photosystem I was highly resistant to both heat and water stresses. When leaves were illuminated with intense white light at 25°C, photoinhibition damage of photosystem II was more pronounced in water-stressed leaves than in undesiccated controls. However, in nondehydrated leaves, photoinhibition of photosystem II was strongly temperature dependent, being drastically stimulated at high temperatures above 38 to 40°C. As a consequence, when exposed to strong light at high temperature, photosystem II photochemistry was significantly less inhibited in dehydrated leaves than in control well-hydrated leaves. Our results demonstrate the existence of a marked antagonism between physicochemical stresses, with water stress enhancing the resistance of photosystem II to constraints (heat, strong light at high temperature) that are usually associated with drought in the field.     

Sensitivity of white clover to UV-B radiation depends on water availability, plant productivity and duration of stress

Abstract Nine populations of white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) were grown for 12 weeks with supplemental application of 13.3 kJ m⁻² d⁻¹ ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation under controlled environmental conditions. Drought was applied during the last four weeks of the experiment. Under well-watered conditions, UV-B decreased white clover growth on average by 20%. Cultivars bred for agricultural performance were sensitive to UV-B, while slow-growing ecotypes were UV-B-tolerant. After four weeks of water stress, there were no significant population differences in UV-B responsiveness. UV-B sensitivity decreased with increasing exposure to drought and with longer duration of UV-B irradiation, suggesting that the direction and extent of the UV-B 3× drought interaction depends on the duration of stress. The population comparisons indicate that low constitutive growth rate and adaptation to other forms of stress may be related to UV-B tolerance under well-watered conditions, but not during extended periods of drought.     

Photosynthetic response of clusterbean chloroplasts to UV-B radiation: Energy imbalance and loss in redox homeostasis between QA and QB of photosystem II

The effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B: 280-320 nm) radiation on the photosynthetic pigments, primary photochemical reactions of thylakoids and the rate of carbon assimilation (P_n) in the cotyledons of clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) seedlings have been examined. The radiation induces an imbalance between the energy absorbed through the photophysical process of photosystem (PS) II and the energy consumed for carbon assimilation. Decline in the primary photochemistry of PS II induced by UV-B in the background of relatively stable P_n, has been implicated in the creation of the energy imbalance_. The radiation induced damage of PS II hinders the flow of electron from Q_A to Q_B resulting in a loss in the redox homeostasis between the Q_A to Q_B leading to an accumulation of Q_A⁻. The accumulation of Q_A⁻ generates an excitation pressure that diminishes the PS II-mediated O₂ evolution, maximal photochemical potential (F_v/F_m) and PS II quantum yield (Φ_{PS II}). While UV-B radiation inactivates the carotenoid-mediated protective mechanisms, the accumulation of flavonoids seems to have a small role in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from UV-B onslaught. The failure of protective mechanisms makes PS II further vulnerable to the radiation and facilitates the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) indicating the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism in UV-B-induced damage of photosynthetic apparatus of clusterbean cotyledons.     

The influence of ultraviolet-B radiation on the growth, pigment production and chlorophyll fluorescence of Norway spruce seedlings

Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.)Karst.) from seven seed sources was grown in a greenhouse with 8.3 and 14.7 kJ·m⁻²·d⁻¹ m UV-B_BE (biologically effective UV-B: 280–320 nm) irradiation, and with no supplemental irradiation as control. The seedlings total biomass (dry weight) and shoot growth decreased with high UV-B treatment but spruce from low elevation seed sources were more affected. The seedlings grown at the highest UV-B irradiance (14.7 kJ·m⁻²·d⁻¹) showed from 5 to 38% inhibition of total biomass and 15 to 70 % shoot growth inhibition. Norway spruce populations from higher altitude seed sources manifested greater tolerance to UV-B radiation compared to plants from low altitudes. Changes in phospholipids and protective pigments were also determined. The plants grown at the lower UV-B irradiance (8.3 kJ·m⁻²·d⁻¹) showed greater ability to concentrations UV-B-absorbing pigments then control plants. Chlorophyll a fluorescence parameter R_fd, (R_fd=(F_m-F_s)/F_s) showed a significant decrease in needles of UV-B treated plants and this correlated with the altitude of seed source. Exposure to UV-B affect levels of the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (F_v/F_m). Results from this study suggest that the response to increased levels of UV-B radiation is depended upon the ecotypic differentiation of Norway spruce and involved changes in metabolites in plant tissues.     

Enhanced UV-B radiation,artificial wounding and leaf chemical defensive potential in Phlomis fruticosa L.

The combined effects of additional UV-B radiation and artificial wounding on leaf phenolics were studied in a short term field experiment with the drought semi-deciduous Mediterranean shrub Phlomis fruticosa L. The seedlings were grown under ambient or ambient plus supplemental UV-B radiation (biologically equivalent to a 15% ozone depletion over Patras, 38.3° N, 29.1° E) for 7 months before wounding. Unexpectedly, supplemental UV-B radiation decreased leaf phenolics. Subsequently, wounding was effected by removing leaf discs from some of the plants, while the rest remained intact and served as controls. Wounding significantly increased phenolics of the wounded leaves and the increase was more pronounced under supplemental UV-B radiation. In addition, wounding had a significant positive effect on the phenolics of the opposite, intact leaf, but only under additional UV-B radiation. We conclude that UV-B radiation, wounding and their combination may affect the chemical defensive potential of Phlomis fruticosa. In addition, increased levels of phenolics after herbivore attack under field conditions may afford extra protection against enhanced UV-B radiation levels.     

Effects of extreme high temperature,drought and elevated CO2 on photosynthesis of the Mojave Desert evergreen shrub,Larrea tridentata

The interaction of extreme temperature events with future atmospheric CO₂ concentrations may have strong impacts on physiological performance of desert shrub seedlings, which during the critical establishment phase often endure temperature extremes in conjunction with pronounced drought. To evaluate the interaction of drought and CO₂ on photosynthesis during heat stress, one-year-old Larrea tridentata[DC] Cov. seedlings were exposed to nine days of heat with midday air temperature maxima reaching 53 °C under three atmospheric CO₂ concentrations (360, 550 and 700 mol mol^–1) and two water regimes (well-watered and droughted). Photosynthetic gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and water potential responses were measured prior to, during and one week following the high temperature stress event. Heat stress markedly decreased net photosynthetic rate (A _net), stomatal conductance (g _s), and the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F _v/F _m) in all plants except for well-watered L. tridentata grown in 700 mol mol^–1 CO₂. A _net and g _s remained similar to pre-stress levels in these plants. In droughted L. tridentata, A _net was ca. 2× (in 550 mol mol^–1 CO₂) to 3× (in 700 mol mol^–1 CO₂) higher than in ambient-CO₂-grown plants, while g _s and F _v/F _m were similar and low in all CO₂ treatments. Following heat stress, g _s in all well-watered plants rose dramatically, exceeding pre-stress levels by up to 100%. In droughted plants, g _s and A _net rose only in plants grown at elevated CO₂ following release from heat. This recovery response was strongest at 700 mol mol^–1 CO₂, which returned to A _net and g _s values similar to pre-heat following several days of recovery. Extreme heat diminished the photosynthetic down-regulation response to growth at elevated CO₂ under well-watered conditions, similar to the action of drought. Ambient-CO₂-grown L. tridentata did not show significant recovery of photosynthetic capacity (A _\max and CE) after alleviation of temperature stress, especially when exposed to drought, while plants exposed to elevated CO₂ appeared to be unaffected. These findings suggest that elevated CO₂ could promote photosynthetic activity during critical periods of seedling establishment, and enhance the potential for L. tridentata to survive extreme high temperature events.     

Effects of winter stress on photosynthetic electron transport and energy distribution between the two photosystems of pine as assayed by chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics

The fluorescence kinetics of both intact needles and isolated chloroplasts of summer active and winter stressed Pinus sylvestris were measured at both room temperature and 77 K. It was confirmed that winter stress inhibited the photochemical capacity of photosystem II but also that winter stress caused the strongest inhibition of the electron transport at the site where the plastoquinone pool is reduced. Parallel analyses of the fluorescence characteristics of photosystem II (F₆₉₃) and photosystem I (F₇₂₉) during photosystem II trap closure furthermore revealed that the yield of spillover of excitation energy from photosystem II to photosystem I decreased upon winter stress. We suggest that this is because of an increased radiationless decay of excitation energy both at the reaction center and antennae levels of photosystem II. There is, however, also a possibility that the decreased yield of spill-over is accentuated by a partial detachment of the light harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex from photosystem II upon winter stress.Paper presented at the FESPP meeting in Strasbourg (1984).     

Morphological and physiological responses of bean plants to supplemental UV radiation in a Mediterranean climate

During the last few decades many experiments have been performed to evaluate the responses of plants to enhanced solar UV-B radiation (280–320 nm) that may occur because of stratospheric ozone depletion; most of them were performed in controlled environment conditions where plants were exposed to low photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) levels and high UV-B irradiance. Since environmental radiative regimes can play a role in the response of plants to UV-B enhancement, it appears doubtful whether it is valid to extrapolate the results from these experiments to plants grown in natural conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects on physiology and morphology of a bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar Nano Bobis, exposed to supplemental UV radiation in the open-air. UV-B radiation was supplied by fluorescent lamps to simulate a 20% stratospheric ozone reduction. Three groups of plants were grown: control (no supplemental UV), UV-A treatment (supplementation in the UV-A band) and UV-B treatment (supplemental UV-B and UV-A radiation). Each group was replicated three times. After 33 days of treatment plants grown under UV-B treatment had lower biomass, leaf area and reduced leaf elongation compared to UV-A treatment. No significant differences were detected in photosynthetic parameters, photosynthetic pigments and UV-B absorbing compounds among the three groups of plants. However, plants exposed to UV-A treatment showed a sort of 'stimulation' of their growth when compared to the control. The results of this experiment showed that plants may be sensitive to UV-A radiation, thus it is difficult to evaluate the specific effects of UV-B (280–320 nm) radiation from fluorescent lamps and it is important to choose the appropriate control. Environmental conditions strongly affect plant response to UV radiation so further field studies are necessary to assess the interaction between UV-B exposure and meteorological variability.     

The effects of altered levels of UV-B radiation on an Antarctic grass and lichen

We report a long-term experiment on the photosynthetic response of natural vegetation of Deschampsia antarctica (Poaceae) and Turgidosculum complicatulum (Lichenes) to altered UV-B levels on Léonie Island, Antarctica.UV-B above the vegetation was reduced by filter screens during two seasons. Half of the screens were transparent to UV-A and UV-B (ambient treatment) or absorbing UV-B and part of the UV-A (below-ambient treatment). Half of the wedge- shaped filters had side walls leading to an enhancement of the daily mean temperature in summer by 2–4 °C, simulating rising mean air temperature on the Antarctic Peninsula. The other half of the filters were without side walls resulting in close-to-ambient temperature underneath. Plots without filters served as controls.UV-B supplementation of an extra 1.3 kJ UV-B_BE was achieved using UV-mini-lamp systems during 15 days in the second season.We found no evidence that altered incident UV-B levels and temperature had an effect on maximum photosystem II efficiency (F _v/F _m) and effective photosystem II efficiency (F/F _m) in both species. UV-B reduction did not influence contents of chlorophyll, carotenoids and methanol-soluble UV absorbing compounds in D. antarctica.Flowering shoot length of D. antarctica was not affected by UV-B reduction. Temperature enhancement tended to result in longer inflorescence axes. Results of two austral summer seasons of UV- reduction in natural stands of D. antarctica and T. complicatulum suggest that current ambient levels of UV-B do not have a direct effect on the photosynthetic performance and pigment contents of these species. Cumulative effects on growth have not been recorded after two years but can not be excluded on a longer term.     

Diurnal changes in photosystem II photochemistry, photoprotective compounds and stress-related phytohormones in the CAM plant, Aptenia cordifolia

Acclimation of photosynthetic light reactions to daily changes in solar radiation requires adjustments in photosystem II photochemistry and may be affected by environmental stresses, such as drought. In this study, we examined the effects of a short-term, severe water deficit on diurnal variations in photosystem II photochemistry, photoprotective compounds (tocopherols and carotenoids, including the xanthophyll cycle) and stress-related phytohormones (abscisic acid and salicylic acid) in the CAM plant, Aptenia cordifolia L. f. Schwantes. Violaxanthin was rapidly converted to zeaxanthin under high light, the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle reaching maximum levels of 0.95 at midday in irrigated plants. Under a higher photoprotective demand caused by water deficit, plants showed significant increases in abscisic acid and γ-tocopherol levels, which were followed by decreases in β-carotene and the F_v/F_m ratio at later stages of stress. Decreases in this ratio below 0.70 correlated with sustained increases in the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle, which kept above 0.90 at night after 15 days of water deficit. In contrast to abscisic acid, salicylic acid levels kept constant under water deficit and showed a sharp decrease during the day both under irrigated and water stress conditions. We conclude that the CAM plant, A. cordifolia showed several strategies of acclimation to short-term water deficit, including abscisic acid and γ-tocopherol accumulation, as well as sustained increases in the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle, which was tightly coupled to daily variations in photosystem II photochemistry. The differential accumulation of tocopherol homologues under water deficit and the diurnal fluctuations of salicylic acid levels in this CAM plant will also be discussed.