<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dipterocarpus obtusifolius</Emphasis> exhibits enhanced photosynthetic capacity at high temperatures

Seedlings planted on degraded lands experience high leaf temperature in daytime because of the lack of vegetation shading. The effect of high temperature on the photosynthetic capacity was investigated in Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. ex Miq. and D. chartaceus Sym. seedlings planted on degraded sandy soils in southern Thailand. Neither species showed decrease in photosynthetic capacity at leaf temperature over 38 °C as compared to that at 28 °C. D. obtusifolius showed higher photosynthetic capacity at high temperatures. Enhanced photosynthetic capacity at high temperatures would be a key for high photosynthetic performance of D. obtusifolius planted on degraded sandy soils.