Photosynthetica 2005, 43(1):37-45 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-005-7045-5

Photosynthesis and photoinhibition in two xerophytic shrubs during drought

W. Tezara1,*, O. Marín1, E. Rengifo2, D. Martínez1, A. Herrera1
1 Centro de Botánica Tropical, Instituto de Biología Experimental, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
2 Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela

Seasonal changes in water relations, net photosynthetic rate (PN), and fluorescence of chlorophyll (Chl) a of two perennial C3 deciduous shrubs, Ipomoea carnea and Jatropha gossypifolia, growing in a thorn scrub in Venezuela were studied in order to establish the possible occurrence of photoinhibition during dry season and determine whether changes in photochemical activity of photosystem 2 (PS2) may explain variations of PN in these species. Leaf water potential (ψ) decreased from -0.2 to -2.1 MPa during drought in both species. The PN decreased with ψ in I. carnea and J. gossypifolia by 64 and 74 %, respectively. Carboxylation efficiency (CE) decreased by more than 50 and 70 % in I. carnea and J. gossypifolia, respectively. In I. carnea, relative stomatal limitation (Ls) increased by 17 % and mesophyll limitation (Lm) by 65 % during drought, while in J. gossypifolia Ls decreased by 27 % and Lm increased by 51 %. Drought caused a reduction in quantum yield of PS2 (ϕPS2) in both species. Drought affected the capacity of energy dissipation of leaves, judging from the changes in the photochemical (qP) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) coefficients. Photoinhibition during drought in I. carnea and J. gossypifolia was evidenced in the field by a drop in the maximum quantum yield of PS2 (Fv/Fm) below 0.8 and also by non-coordinated changes in ϕPS2 and quantum yield of non-photochemical excitation quenching (Yn). Total soluble protein content on an area basis increased with ψ but the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase content remained unchanged. A reduction of total Chl content with drought was observed. Hence in the species studied photoinhibition occurred, which imposed an important limitation on carbon assimilation during drought.

Additional key words: fluorescence; Ipomoea carnea; Jatropha gossypifolia; net photosynthetic rate; quantum yield; photosystem 2; stomatal conductance; water stress; xerophytes

Received: May 3, 2004; Accepted: October 14, 2004; Published: March 1, 2005  Show citation

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Tezara, W., Marín, O., Rengifo, E., Martínez, D., & Herrera, A. (2005). Photosynthesis and photoinhibition in two xerophytic shrubs during drought. Photosynthetica, 43(1), 37-45. doi: 10.1007/s11099-005-7045-5
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