Environmental stresses that perturb plant water relations influence abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations, but it is unclear whether long-distance ABA transport contributes to changes in local ABA levels. To determine the physiological relevance of ABA transport, we made reciprocal-and self-grafts of ABA-deficient flacca mutant and wild-type (WT) tomato plants, in which low phosphorus (P) conditions decreased ABA concentrations while salinity increased ABA concentrations. Whereas foliar ABA concentrations in the WT scions were rootstock independent under control conditions, salinity resulted in longdistance transport of ABA: flacca scions had approximately twice as much ABA when grafted on WT rootstocks compared to flacca rootstocks. Root ABA concentrations were scion dependent: both WT and flacca rootstocks had less ABA with the flacca mutant scion than with the WT scion under control conditions. In WT scions, whereas rootstock genotype had limited effects on stomatal conductance under control conditions, a flacca rootstock decreased leaf area of stressed plants, presumably due to attenuated root-to-shoot ABA transport. In flacca scions, a WT rootstock decreased stomatal conductance but increased leaf area of stressed plants, likely due to enhanced root-to-shoot ABA transport. Thus, long-distance ABA transport can affect responses in distal tissues by changing local ABA concentrations.

The results suggest that enhanced class III peroxidase activity in the seed coat of PA-deficient mutants is an adaptive strategy for seed development and survival.

Water stress by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 solution (y s = 0.2 MPa, stress time: 48 h, rehydration time: 48 h) was performed in leaves of two alfalfa cultivar (LongDong and Algonquin) seedlings. Gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, activity of antioxidant enzyme and photosynthetic pigment concentrations were measured to investigate the available photosynthetic and antioxidant enzyme response to variable water conditions as well as stomatal and non-stomatal limitations to photosynthesis. The results showed that non-stomatal limitations were responsible for the reduction of photosynthesis during water stress. At the beginning of water stress (12 h), water was lost and then the stomata closed rapidly, which resulted in a decrease of transpiration, net photosynthesis and CO 2 diffusion. Therefore, when intercellular CO 2 concentration and carboxylation efficiency decrease, water use efficiency and value of stomatal limitation would increase. However, the decline of net photo synthetic rate was faster than transpiration rate. At the same time, the maximal photochemical efficiency, potential activity of PSII reaction center and photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence declined significantly, the activity of antioxidant enzyme increased rapidly and the photosynthetic pigment concentrations changed slightly. The results also indicated that, at the initial period of stress, neither oxidative stress nor membrane lipid peroxidation was induced, nor were photosynthetic Responsibility of non-stomatal limitations for the reduction of photosynthesis-response of photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme characteristics in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings to water stress and rehydration

Mass loss and nutrient release during litter decomposition drive biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the relationship between the litter decomposition process and the decomposition stage, precipitation, and litter quality has rarely been addressed, precluding our understanding of how litter decomposition regulates nutrient cycling in various ecosystems and their responses to climate change. In this study, we measured mass loss as well as carbon and nutrient releases during the decomposition of 16 types of leaf litter under three precipitation treatments over 12 months in a common garden experiment (i.e., using standardized soil and climatic conditions). Sixteen types of leaves were divided into three functional groups (evergreen, deciduous, and herbaceous). The objectives were to understand the effects of decomposition stages and precipitation regimes on litter decomposition and to examine the relationship between this effect and chemical properties. The mass loss and release of nitrogen and potassium were significantly higher in the 6‐ to 12‐month stage of decomposition (high temperature and humidity) than in the 0‐ to 6‐month stage. Phosphorus was relatively enriched in evergreen leaves after 6 months of decomposition. The rates of mass loss and nutrient release were significantly greater in herbaceous than in deciduous and evergreen leaves. Increasing precipitation from 400 to 800 mm accelerated mass loss and potassium release but decreased phosphorus release in the 0‐ to 6‐month stage of decomposition. These results highlighted the contribution to and complexity of litter chemical properties in litter decomposition.