Increased growth of Araucaria angustifolia under warm conditions is unaccompanied by increased photosynthetic performance

Author

• Lorena Egidio de Castro
• Camila Kissmann
• Gustavo HabermannEmail author

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

Original Article

First Online: 

22 April 2017

DOI: 10.1007/s00468-017-1553-3

Cite this article as:

de Castro, L.E., Kissmann, C. & Habermann, G. Trees (2017). doi:10.1007/s00468-017-1553-3

Abstract

Key message

AlthoughA. angustifoliaoccurs in regions with subtropical climate, warm conditions do not seem to impair the growth of young plants.

Abstract

The effects of increasing temperature are worth studying even in tree species from subtropical climates. Araucaria angustifolia occurs in the south and southeast of Brazil and in Argentina and its growth and success may be associated with low temperatures. We measured growth, photosynthetic parameters and the nutritional status of this plant growing under artificial warm and cool conditions. We expected growth and photosynthetic performance to increase under cool rather than warm conditions. Under high daily temperature, plants showed increased leaf area per plant, more leaves, containing more nitrogen. However, CO2assimilation rates at light saturation were similar in plants grown under both conditions, and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency was 25% higher in plants under cool conditions. This may be the first report of temperature effects on the growth of this species. Despite enhancing growth in A. angustifolia, warm conditions do not directly influence photosynthetic activities, but enhance leaf area per plant allowing increased CO2 uptake.

Keywords

Brazilian pine Ecophysiological responses Gas exchange Temperature 

Communicated by T. Grams.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00468-017-1553-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Supplementary material

468_2017_1553_MOESM1_ESM.tif (24.7 mb)

Fig. S1 CO2 assimilation rates (A), stomatal conductance (gs) and transpiration rates (E) in response to vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in Araucaria angustifolia plants grown in warm and cool conditions. Each plot represents individual readings (from each plant) measured during the whole experimental period (30, 60, 90 and 120 days after the start of treatment application) (TIF 25321 kb)

468_2017_1553_MOESM2_ESM.tif (575 kb)

Fig. S2 Specific leaf area (SLA) of Araucaria angustifolia after 120 days of experiment under warm and cool conditions. Vertical bars are standard deviation and the absence of letters indicates a lack of difference between both conditions using the Student t test (P < 0.05) (TIF 575 kb)

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