Photosynthetica 2006, 44(3):345-348 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-006-0034-5

Seasonal changes in the photosynthetic capacity of cones on a larch (Larix kaempferi) canopy

W. J. Wang1, Y. Watanabe2, I. Endo3, S. Kitaoka3, T. Koike3,*
1 Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, P. R. China
2 Hokkaido University Forests, FSC, Sapporo, Japan
3 Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

The seasonal changes of photosynthesis of cones of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi Carr.) trees showed that gross photosynthetic rate of young cones (P G) was 2-3 µmol m-2 s-1 at surface area unit and P G/R D (dark respiration of cones) peaked about 0.7 in the same period, indicating that 70 % of respiratory CO2 was re-fixed. With maturation, P G and P G/R D sharply decreased. Chlorophyll content in cones was 3-20 % of that in leaves, which made it a limiting factor for photosynthesis and its content was closely correlated with photosynthetic capacity. Although sunken and linearly arranged stomatal organs were found on the scale of young cones, differently from the significant regulation of leaf photosynthesis, these stomata tended to be non-functional since CO2 is not limiting factor for cone photosynthesis. Thus photosynthesis of larch cones is an additional contribution to their development.

Additional key words: chlorophyll; re-fix ratio; respiration; seasonal changes; stomata

Received: March 22, 2005; Accepted: December 20, 2005; Published: September 1, 2006  Show citation

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Wang, W.J., Watanabe, Y., Endo, I., Kitaoka, S., & Koike, T. (2006). Seasonal changes in the photosynthetic capacity of cones on a larch (Larix kaempferi) canopy. Photosynthetica, 44(3), 345-348. doi: 10.1007/s11099-006-0034-5
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