Leaf movement and photosynthetic plasticity of black locust (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Robinia pseudoacacia</Emphasis>) alleviate stress under different light and water conditions |
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Authors: | Fei Xu Weihua Guo Renqing Wang Weihong Xu Ning Du Yufang Wang |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, College of Life Sciences, Shandong University, 250100 Jinan, People’s Republic of China |
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Abstract: | Leaf morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seedlings were studied under different stress conditions. The plants were subjected to drought and shade stress for one
month. Leaf inclination, chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll content were measured at the first day (short-term stress)
and at the end of the stress period (long-term stress) and in the recovery period. Leaf inclination was affected mainly by
light; a low level of irradiance caused leaves to be arranged horizontally. Diurnal rhythmicity was lost after the long-term
stress, but resumed, in part, in the recovery period. Drought stress caused leaves to tilt more obviously and decreased damage
to the photosystem. Sun avoiding movement in a single leaf and sun tracking movement in the whole plant coexisted. Significant
physiological changes occurred under different conditions of light. Increased energy dissipation and light capture were the
main responses to high and low level of irradiance, respectively, and these were reflected by changes of chlorophyll fluorescence
and chlorophyll content. Phenotypic plasticity in the leaflet enhanced the protective response to stress. These adaptive mechanisms
may explain better survival of R. pseudoacacia seedlings in the understory, especially during the drought periods, and made it to be the preponderant reforestation species
in Shandong Province of China. |
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Keywords: | Black locust Chlorophyll fluorescence Drought Leaf inclination Light acclimation Photosynthetic plasticity |
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