Growth temperature influences the underlying components of relative growth rate: an investigation using inherently fast‐ and slow‐growing plant species

Abstract

We examined the effect of growth temperature on the underlying components of growth in a range of inherently fast-and slow-growing plant species. Plants were grown hydroponically at constant 18, 23 and 28 °°°° C. Growth analysis was conducted on 16 contrasting plant species, with whole plant gas exchange being performed on six of the 16 species. Inter-specific variations in specific leaf area (SLA) were important in determining variations in relative growth rate (RGR) amongst the species at 23 and 28 °°°° C but were not related to variations in RGR at 18 °°°° C. When grown at 18 °°°° C, net assimilation rate (NAR) became more important than SLA for explaining variations in RGR. Variations in whole shoot photosynthesis and carbon concentration could not explain the importance of NAR in determining RGR at the lower temperatures. Rather, variations in the degree to which whole plant respiration per unit leaf area acclimated to the different growth temperatures were responsible. Plants grown at 28 °°°° C used a greater proportion of their daily fixed carbon in respiration than did the 18 and 23 °°°° C-grown plants. It is concluded that the relative importance of the underlying components of growth are influenced by growth temperature, and the degree of acclimation of respiration is of central importance to the greater role played by NAR in determining variations in RGR at declining growth temperatures.

Warming effects on growth and physiology in the seedlings of the two conifers Picea asperata and Abies faxoniana under two contrasting light conditions

“…In the present study, warming appeared to increase the specific leaf area (SLA) of the two conifer species under the 60-year plantation, which could allow seedlings to harvest light more effectively under low-light conditions. The results were in agreement with that of Loveys et al (2002), who reported increases in SLA with increasing growth temperature for some fast-growing plant species. In contrast, Lemmens et al (2006) observed no temperature effects on SLA.…”

Positive effects of night warming on physiology of coniferous trees in late growing season: Leaf and root

“…Furthermore, SLA is considered to be one of the most important factor driving variation in plants relative growth rate as well as the photosynthetic ability . The result suggested that these seedlings had a greater ability to capture light more effectively, which is consistent with one previous study (Loveys et al, 2002).…”

Metabolism and Growth in Arabidopsis Depend on the Daytime Temperature but Are Temperature-Compensated against Cool Nights

“…Photosynthetic acclimation is relatively small in preformed leaves and larger in leaves that develop at the lower temperature (Strand et al, 1997;Campbell et al, 2007;Atkinson et al, 2010). The process includes an increase in leaf thickness and the overall protein concentration (Strand et al, 1999;Tjoelker et al, 1999;Loveys et al, 2002;Campbell et al, 2007). The latter is at least partly due to a decrease in vacuole size allowing the cytoplasm to occupy a larger proportion of the cellular volume (Huner et al, 1981;Griffith et al, 1985;Strand et al, 1999).…”