Sustainable bioenergy for climate mitigation: developing drought-tolerant trees and grasses.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Bioenergy crops are central to climate mitigation strategies that utilize biogenic carbon, such as BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage), alongside the use of biomass for heat, power, liquid fuels and, in the future, biorefining to chemicals. Several promising lignocellulosic crops are emerging that have no food role - fast-growing trees and grasses - but are well suited as bioenergy feedstocks, including Populus, Salix, Arundo, Miscanthus, Panicum and Sorghum. SCOPE: These promising crops remain largely undomesticated and, until recently, have had limited germplasm resources. In order to avoid competition with food crops for land and nature conservation, it is likely that future bioenergy crops will be grown on marginal land that is not needed for food production and is of poor quality and subject to drought stress. Thus, here we define an ideotype for drought tolerance that will enable biomass production to be maintained in the face of moderate drought stress. This includes traits that can readily be measured in wide populations of several hundred unique genotypes for genome-wide association studies, alongside traits that are informative but can only easily be assessed in limited numbers or training populations that may be more suitable for genomic selection. Phenotyping, not genotyping, is now the major bottleneck for progress, since in all lignocellulosic crops studied extensive use has been made of next-generation sequencing such that several thousand markers are now available and populations are emerging that will enable rapid progress for drought-tolerance breeding. The emergence of novel technologies for targeted genotyping by sequencing are particularly welcome. Genome editing has already been demonstrated for Populus and offers significant potential for rapid deployment of drought-tolerant crops through manipulation of ABA receptors, as demonstrated in Arabidopsis, with other gene targets yet to be tested. CONCLUSIONS: Bioenergy is predicted to be the fastest-developing renewable energy over the coming decade and significant investment over the past decade has been made in developing genomic resources and in collecting wild germplasm from within the natural ranges of several tree and grass crops. Harnessing these resources for climate-resilient crops for the future remains a challenge but one that is likely to be successful.

Improving respiration measurements with gas exchange analyzers.

Dark respiration measurements with open-flow gas exchange analyzers are often questioned for their low accuracy as their low values often reach the precision limit of the instrument. Respiration was measured in five species, two hypostomatous (Vitis Vinifera L. and Acanthus mollis) and three amphistomatous, one with similar amount of stomata in both sides (Eucalyptus citriodora) and two with different stomata density (Brassica oleracea and Vicia faba). CO2 differential (ΔCO2) increased two-fold with no change in apparent Rd, when the two leaves with higher stomatal density faced outside. These results showed a clear effect of the position of stomata on ΔCO2. Therefore, it can be concluded that leaf position is important to guarantee the improvement of respiration measurements increasing ΔCO2 without affecting the respiration results by leaf or mass units. This method will help to increase the accuracy of leaf respiration measurements using gas exchange analyzers.

Genetic improvement of leaf photosynthesis and intrinsic water use efficiency in C3 plants: Why so much little success?

There is an urgent need for simultaneously increasing photosynthesis/yields and water use efficiency (WUE) in C3 crops. Potentially, this can be achieved by genetic manipulation of the key traits involved. However, despite significant efforts in the past two decades very limited success has been achieved. Here I argue that this is mostly due to the fact that single gene/single trait approaches have been used thus far. Photosynthesis models demonstrate that only limited improving of photosynthesis can be expected by large improvements of any of its single limiting factors, i.e. stomatal conductance, mesophyll conductance, and the biochemical capacity for photosynthesis, the latter co-limited by Rubisco and the orchestrated activity of thylakoid electron transport and the Calvin cycle enzymes. Accordingly, only limited improvements of photosynthesis have been obtained by genetic manipulation of any of these single factors. In addition, improving photosynthesis by genetic manipulation in general reduced WUE, and vice-versa, and in many cases pleiotropic effects appear that cancel out some of the expected benefits. I propose that success in genetic manipulation for simultaneous improvement of photosynthesis and WUE efficiency may take longer than suggested in previous reports, and that it can be achieved only by joint projects addressing multi-gene manipulation for simultaneous alterations of all the limiting factors of photosynthesis, including the often neglected phloem capacity for loading and transport the expected surplus of carbohydrates in plants with improved photosynthesis.

Mesophyll conductance to CO2 and Rubisco as targets for improving intrinsic water use efficiency in C3 plants.

Water limitation is a major global constraint for plant productivity that is likely to be exacerbated by climate change. Hence, improving plant water use efficiency (WUE) has become a major goal for the near future. At the leaf level, WUE is the ratio between photosynthesis and transpiration. Maintaining high photosynthesis under water stress, while improving WUE requires either increasing mesophyll conductance (gm ) and/or improving the biochemical capacity for CO2 assimilation-in which Rubisco properties play a key role, especially in C3 plants at current atmospheric CO2 . The goals of the present analysis are: (1) to summarize the evidence that improving gm and/or Rubisco can result in increased WUE; (2) to review the degree of success of early attempts to genetically manipulate gm or Rubisco; (3) to analyse how gm , gsw and the Rubisco's maximum velocity (Vcmax ) co-vary across different plant species in well-watered and drought-stressed conditions; (4) to examine how these variations cause differences in WUE and what is the overall extent of variation in individual determinants of WUE; and finally, (5) to use simulation analysis to provide a theoretical framework for the possible control of WUE by gm and Rubisco catalytic constants vis-à-vis gsw under water limitations.

Effects of Grapevine Leafroll associated Virus 3 (GLRaV-3) and duration of infection on fruit composition and wine chemical profile of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon blanc.

In order to determine the effects of Grapevine Leafroll associated Virus 3 (GLRaV-3) on fruit composition and chemical profile of juice and wine from Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon blanc grown in New Zealand, composition variables were measured on fruit from vines either infected with GLRaV-3 (established or recent infections) or uninfected vines. Physiological ripeness (20.4°Brix) was the criterion established to determine the harvest date for each of the three treatments. Date of grape ripeness was strongly affected by virus infection. In juice and wine, GLRaV-3 infection prior to 2008 reduced titratable acidity compared with the uninfected control. Differences observed in amino acids from the three infection status groups did not modify basic wine chemical properties. In conclusion, GLRaV-3 infection slowed grape ripening, but at equivalent ripeness to result in minimal effects on the juice and wine chemistry. Time of infection produced differences in specific plant physiological variables.

Diffusional limitations explain the lower photosynthetic capacity of ferns as compared with angiosperms in a common garden study.

Ferns are thought to have lower photosynthetic rates than angiosperms and they lack fine stomatal regulation. However, no study has directly compared photosynthesis in plants of both groups grown under optimal conditions in a common environment. We present a common garden comparison of seven angiosperms and seven ferns paired by habitat preference, with the aims of (1) confirming that ferns do have lower photosynthesis capacity than angiosperms and quantifying these differences; (2) determining the importance of diffusional versus biochemical limitations; and (3) analysing the potential implication of leaf anatomical traits in setting the photosynthesis capacity in both groups. On average, the photosynthetic rate of ferns was about half that of angiosperms, and they exhibited lower stomatal and mesophyll conductance to CO2 (gm ), maximum velocity of carboxylation and electron transport rate. A quantitative limitation analysis revealed that stomatal and mesophyll conductances were co-responsible for the lower photosynthesis of ferns as compared with angiosperms. However, gm alone was the most constraining factor for photosynthesis in ferns. Consistently, leaf anatomy showed important differences between angiosperms and ferns, especially in cell wall thickness and the surface of chloroplasts exposed to intercellular air spaces.

Rubisco catalytic properties optimized for present and future climatic conditions.

Because of its catalytic inefficiencies, Rubisco is the most obvious target for improvement to enhance the photosynthetic capacity of plants. Two hypotheses are tested in the present work: (1) existing Rubiscos have optimal kinetic properties to maximize photosynthetic carbon assimilation in existing higher plants; (2) current knowledge allows proposal of changes to kinetic properties to make Rubiscos more suited to changed conditions in chloroplasts that are likely to occur with climate change. The catalytic mechanism of Rubisco results in higher catalytic rates of carboxylation being associated with decreased affinity for CO2, so that selection for different environments involves a trade-off between these two properties. The simulations performed in this study confirm that the optimality of Rubisco kinetics depends on the species and the environmental conditions. In particular, environmental drivers affecting the CO2 availability for carboxylation (Cc) or directly shifting the photosynthetic limitations between Rubisco and RuBP regeneration determine to what extend Rubisco kinetics are optimally suited to maximize CO2 assimilation rate. In general, modeled values for optimal kinetic reflect the predominant environmental conditions currently encountered by the species in the field. Under future climatic conditions, photosynthetic CO2 assimilation will be limited by RuBP-regeneration, especially in the absence of water stress, the largest rise in [CO2] and the lowest increases in temperature. Under these conditions, the model predicts that optimal Rubisco should have high Sc/o and low kcat(c).

Stomatal and mesophyll conductances to CO2 are the main limitations to photosynthesis in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) plants grown with excess zinc.

*The effects of zinc (Zn) toxicity on photosynthesis and respiration were investigated in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) plants grown hydroponically with 1.2, 100 and 300 microM Zn. *A photosynthesis limitation analysis was used to assess the stomatal, mesophyll, photochemical and biochemical contributions to the reduced photosynthesis observed under Zn toxicity. *The main limitation to photosynthesis was attributable to stomata, with stomatal conductances decreasing by 76% under Zn excess and stomata being unable to respond to physiological and chemical stimuli. The effects of excess Zn on photochemistry were minor. Scanning electron microscopy showed morphological changes in stomata and mesophyll tissue. Stomatal size and density were smaller, and stomatal slits were sealed in plants grown under high Zn. Moreover, the mesophyll conductance to CO(2) decreased by 48% under Zn excess, despite a marked increase in carbonic anhydrase activity. Respiration, including that through both cytochrome and alternative pathways, was doubled by high Zn. *It can be concluded that, in sugar beet plants grown in the presence of excess Zn, photosynthesis is impaired due to a depletion of CO(2) at the Rubisco carboxylation site, as a consequence of major decreases in stomatal and mesophyll conductances to CO(2).

Interactive effects of soil water deficit and air vapour pressure deficit on mesophyll conductance to CO2 in Vitis vinifera and Olea europaea.

The present work aims to study the interactive effect of drought stress and high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) on leaf gas exchange, and especially on mesophyll conductance to CO(2) (g(m)), in two woody species of great agronomical importance in the Mediterranean basin: Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo and Olea europaea L. cv. Manzanilla. Plants were grown in specially designed outdoor chambers with ambient and below ambient VPD, under both well-irrigated and drought conditions. g(m) was estimated by the variable J method from simultaneous measurements of gas exchange and fluorescence. In both species, the response to soil water deficit was larger in g(s) than in g(m), and more important than the response to VPD. Olea europaea was apparently more sensitive to VPD, so that plants growing in more humid chambers showed higher g(s) and g(m). In V. vinifera, in contrast, soil water deficit dominated the response of g(s) and g(m). Consequently, changes in g(m)/g(s) were more related to VPD in O. europaea and to soil water deficit in V. vinifera. Most of the limitations of photosynthesis were diffusional and especially due to stomatal closure. No biochemical limitation was detected. The results showed that structural parameters played an important role in determining g(m) during the acclimation process. Although the relationship between leaf mass per unit area (M(A)) with g(m) was scattered, it imposed a limitation to the maximum g(m) achievable, with higher values of M(A) in O. europaea at lower g(m) values. M(A) decreased under water stress in O. europaea but it increased in V. vinifera. This resulted in a negative relationship between M(A) and the CO(2) draw-down between substomatal cavities and chloroplasts in O. europaea, while being positive in V. vinifera.

Mesophyll conductance to CO(2) transport estimated by two independent methods: effect of variable CO(2) concentration and abscisic acid.

Mesophyll conductance (g(m)) and stomatal conductance (g(s)) are two crucial components of the diffusive limitation of photosynthesis. Variation of g(m) in response to CO(2) concentration was evaluated by using two independent methods based on measurements of variable electron transport rate (J) and instantaneous carbon isotope discrimination, respectively. Both methods of g(m) estimation showed a very similar shape of the g(m)/C(i) relationship, with an initial increase at low substomatal CO(2) concentrations (C(i)), a peak at 180-200 micromol mol(-1) C(i), and a subsequent decrease at higher C(i). A good correlation was observed between values of g(m) estimated from the two methods, except when C(i) <200 micromol mol(-1), suggesting that the initial increase of g(m) at low C(i) was probably due to unreliable estimates over that range of C(i). Plants were also treated with abscisic acid (ABA), which induced a reduction in g(s) without significantly affecting the rate of photosynthesis, g(m) or the photosynthetic capacity. The present results confirm, using two independent methods, that g(m) is strongly sensitive to C(i), and that the relationship between g(s) and g(m) is not conservative, differing between control and ABA-treated plants.

Photosynthesis under drought and salt stress: regulation mechanisms from whole plant to cell.

BACKGROUND: Plants are often subjected to periods of soil and atmospheric water deficits during their life cycle as well as, in many areas of the globe, to high soil salinity. Understanding how plants respond to drought, salt and co-occurring stresses can play a major role in stabilizing crop performance under drought and saline conditions and in the protection of natural vegetation. Photosynthesis, together with cell growth, is among the primary processes to be affected by water or salt stress. SCOPE: The effects of drought and salt stresses on photosynthesis are either direct (as the diffusion limitations through the stomata and the mesophyll and the alterations in photosynthetic metabolism) or secondary, such as the oxidative stress arising from the superimposition of multiple stresses. The carbon balance of a plant during a period of salt/water stress and recovery may depend as much on the velocity and degree of photosynthetic recovery, as it depends on the degree and velocity of photosynthesis decline during water depletion. Current knowledge about physiological limitations to photosynthetic recovery after different intensities of water and salt stress is still scarce. From the large amount of data available on transcript-profiling studies in plants subjected to drought and salt it is becoming apparent that plants perceive and respond to these stresses by quickly altering gene expression in parallel with physiological and biochemical alterations; this occurs even under mild to moderate stress conditions. From a recent comprehensive study that compared salt and drought stress it is apparent that both stresses led to down-regulation of some photosynthetic genes, with most of the changes being small (ratio threshold lower than 1) possibly reflecting the mild stress imposed. When compared with drought, salt stress affected more genes and more intensely, possibly reflecting the combined effects of dehydration and osmotic stress in salt-stressed plants.

Phytochrome-driven changes in respiratory electron transport partitioning in soybean (Glycine max. L.) cotyledons.

After it was observed that light induces changes in electron partitioning between the cytochrome and the alternative pathway, the focus interest was directed to assessing what type of photoreceptors are involved and the extent of such modifications. Studies on 5-day-old soybean (Glycine max L.) cotyledons using an oxygen isotope fractionation technique showed that phytochrome is involved in changes in electron partitioning between the cytochrome and the alternative respiratory pathway. A follow-up of a previous study, showing that 5 min of white light caused changes in mitochondrial electron partitioning, demonstrated that while blue light was not involved in any such changes, red light caused a significant shift of electrons toward the alternative pathway. The major shift, observed after 24 h of light, is mainly due to both a decrease in the activity of the cytochrome pathway and an increase in the activity of the alternative pathway. The involvement of a phytochrome receptor was confirmed by demonstration of reversibility by far-red light. The implications of the possible involvement of phytochrome in the regulation of mitochondrial electron transport are discussed.

Mesophyll conductance to CO2 in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The close rosette growth form, short petioles and small leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana make measurements with commercial gas exchange cuvettes difficult. This difficulty can be overcome by growing A. thaliana plants in 'ice-cream cone-like' soil pots. This design permitted simultaneous gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements from which the first estimates of mesophyll conductance to CO(2) (g(m)) in Arabidopsis were obtained and used to determine photosynthetic limitations during plant ageing from c. 30-45 d. Estimations of g(m) showed maximum values of 0.2 mol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1) bar(-1), lower than expected for a thin-leaved annual species. The parameterization of the response of net photosynthesis (A(N)) to chloroplast CO(2) concentrations (C(c)) yielded estimations of the maximum velocity of carboxylation (V(c,max_Cc)) which were also lower than those reported for other annual species. As A. thaliana plants aged from 30 to 45 d, there was a 40% decline of A(N) that was entirely the result of increased diffusional limitations to CO(2) transfer, with g(m) being the largest. The results suggest that in A. thaliana A(N) is limited by low g(m) and low capacity for carboxylation. Decreased g(m) is the main factor involved in early age-induced photosynthetic decline.

Analysis of leakage in IRGA's leaf chambers of open gas exchange systems: quantification and its effects in photosynthesis parameterization.

The measurement of the response of net photosynthesis to leaf internal CO2 (i.e. A-Ci curves) is widely used for ecophysiological studies. Most studies did not consider CO2 exchange between the chamber and the surrounding air, especially at the two extremes of A-Ci curves, where large CO2 gradients are created, leading to erroneous estimations of A and Ci. A quantitative analysis of CO2 leakage in the chamber of a portable open gas exchange system (Li-6400, LI-COR Inc., NE, USA) was performed. In an empty chamber, the measured CO2 leakage was similar to that calculated using the manufacturer's equations. However, in the presence of a photosynthetically inactive leaf, the magnitude of leakage was substantially decreased, although still significant. These results, together with the analysis of the effects of chamber size, tightness, flow rate, and gasket material, suggest that the leakage is larger at the interface between the gaskets than through the gaskets. This differential leakage rate affects the parameterization by photosynthesis models. The magnitude of these errors was assessed in tobacco plants. The results showed that leakage results in a 10% overestimation of the leaf maximum capacity for carboxylation (Vc,max) and a 40% overestimation of day respiration (Rl). Using the manufacturer's equations resulted in larger, non-realistic corrections of the true values. The photosynthetic response to CO2 concentrations at the chloroplast (i.e. A-Cc curves) was significantly less affected by leakage than A-Ci curves. Therefore, photosynthetic parameterization can be improved by: (i) correcting A and Ci values for chamber leakage estimated using a photosynthetically inactive leaf; and (ii) using A-Cc instead of A-Ci curves.

Decreased Rubisco activity during water stress is not induced by decreased relative water content but related to conditions of low stomatal conductance and chloroplast CO2 concentration.

Rubisco activity decreases under water stress, for reasons as yet unclear. Here, the covariation of stomatal conductance (gs) and relative water content (RWC), often observed during water stress, was impaired to assess the separate effects of these factors on Rubisco activity. Three different treatments were applied to soybean (Glycine max) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum): leaf desiccation (LD), in which stomatal closure was accompanied by large decreases of RWC; water stress (WS), in which minor decreases of RWC were observed along with stomatal closure; and exogenous application of abscisic acid (ABA), which triggered stomatal closure without changing RWC. Decreased RWC did not induce decreased initial Rubisco activity, which was impaired only in soybean by 40% when the gs dropped below 50 mmol m(-2) s(-1), regardless of the treatment. The mechanism for decreased activity differed among treatments, owing to decreased activation in LD and to total activity and protein content in WS and ABA. Despite the occurrence of Rubisco regulation, CO2 availability in the chloroplast, not impairment of Rubisco activity, limits photosynthesis during WS.

Diffusive and metabolic limitations to photosynthesis under drought and salinity in C(3) plants.

Drought and salinity are two widespread environmental conditions leading to low water availability for plants. Low water availability is considered the main environmental factor limiting photosynthesis and, consequently, plant growth and yield worldwide. There has been a long-standing controversy as to whether drought and salt stresses mainly limit photosynthesis through diffusive resistances or by metabolic impairment. Reviewing in vitro and in vivo measurements, it is concluded that salt and drought stress predominantly affect diffusion of CO(2) in the leaves through a decrease of stomatal and mesophyll conductances, but not the biochemical capacity to assimilate CO(2), at mild to rather severe stress levels. The general failure of metabolism observed at more severe stress suggests the occurrence of secondary oxidative stresses, particularly under high-light conditions. Estimates of photosynthetic limitations based on the photosynthetic response to intercellular CO(2) may lead to artefactual conclusions, even if patchy stomatal closure and the relative increase of cuticular conductance are taken into account, as decreasing mesophyll conductance can cause the CO(2) concentration in chloroplasts of stressed leaves to be considerably lower than the intercellular CO(2) concentration. Measurements based on the photosynthetic response to chloroplast CO(2) often confirm that the photosynthetic capacity is preserved but photosynthesis is limited by diffusive resistances in drought and salt-stressed leaves.

Analysis of the virus-induced inhibition of photosynthesis in malmsey grapevines.

• Virus infections decrease photosynthesis in plants, but the mechanistic basis is poorly understood. This was analysed in Banyalbufar malmsey, a grapevine (Vitis vinifera) variety of Mallorca (Spain). • The aim of this study was to analyse the mechanisms by which virus infection affect photosynthesis. Gas exchange (limitation analysis), chlorophyll fluorescence and Rubisco activity were compared in potted virus-infected and virus-free potted plants, and in field-grown young lowly infected and older highly infected plants. • Virus infection resulted in decreased photosynthesis (c. 50%). Stomatal limitation was unaffected in virus-infected plants, demonstrating that stomatal closure was not causing photosynthesis decreases. Chlorophyll fluorescence and limitation analysis suggested that the inhibition of primary light reactions was only a minor effect of virus infection. By contrast, mesophyll conductance to CO2 and Rubisco activity substantially decreased in virus-infected plants, corresponding to increases in the limitations to photosynthesis imposed by mesophyll conductance and carboxylation. • It is concluded that decreases in carboxylation and, possibly, in mesophyll conductance are the primary mechanisms by which virus infection impairs photosynthesis in Banyalbufar malmsey.

Regulation of photosynthesis of C3 plants in response to progressive drought: stomatal conductance as a reference parameter.

We review the photosynthetic responses to drought in field-grown grapevines and other species. As in other plant species, the relationship between photosynthesis and leaf water potential and/or relative water content in field-grown grapevines depends on conditions during plant growth and measurements. However, when light-saturated stomatal conductance was used as the reference parameter to reflect drought intensity, a common response pattern was observed that was much less dependent on the species and conditions. Many photosynthetic parameters (e.g. electron transport rate, carboxylation efficiency, intrinsic water-use efficiency, respiration rate in the light, etc.) were also more strongly correlated with stomatal conductance than with water status itself. Moreover, steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence also showed a high dependency on stomatal conductance. This is discussed in terms of an integrated down-regulation of the whole photosynthetic process by CO2 availability in the mesophyll. A study with six Mediterranean shrubs revealed that, in spite of some marked interspecific differences, all followed the same pattern of dependence of photosynthetic processes on stomatal conductance, and this pattern was quite similar to that of grapevines. Further analysis of the available literature suggests that the above-mentioned pattern is general for C3 plants. Even though the patterns described do not necessarily imply a cause and effect relationship, they can help our understanding of the apparent contradictions concerning stomatal vs. non-stomatal limitations to photosynthesis under drought. The significance of these findings for the improvement of water-use efficiency of crops is discussed.

Drought-inhibition of photosynthesis in C3 plants: stomatal and non-stomatal limitations revisited.

There is a long-standing controversy as to whether drought limits photosynthetic CO2 assimilation through stomatal closure or by metabolic impairment in C3 plants. Comparing results from different studies is difficult due to interspecific differences in the response of photosynthesis to leaf water potential and/or relative water content (RWC), the most commonly used parameters to assess the severity of drought. Therefore, we have used stomatal conductance (g) as a basis for comparison of metabolic processes in different studies. The logic is that, as there is a strong link between g and photosynthesis (perhaps co-regulation between them), so different relationships between RWC or water potential and photosynthetic rate and changes in metabolism in different species and studies may be 'normalized' by relating them to g. Re-analysing data from the literature using light-saturated g as a parameter indicative of water deficits in plants shows that there is good correspondence between the onset of drought-induced inhibition of different photosynthetic sub-processes and g. Contents of ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) decrease early in drought development, at still relatively high g (higher than 150 mmol H20 m(-2) s(-1)). This suggests that RuBP regeneration and ATP synthesis are impaired. Decreased photochemistry and Rubisco activity typically occur at lower g (<100 mmol H20 m(-2) s(-1)), whereas permanent photoinhibition is only occasional, occurring at very low g (<50 mmol H20 m(-2) s(-1)). Sub-stomatal CO2 concentration decreases as g becomes smaller, but increases again at small g. The analysis suggests that stomatal closure is the earliest response to drought and the dominant limitation to photosynthesis at mild to moderate drought. However, in parallel, progressive down-regulation or inhibition of metabolic processes leads to decreased RuBP content, which becomes the dominant limitation at severe drought, and thereby inhibits photosynthetic CO2 assimilation.

Photosynthetic responses to water deficit in six Mediterranean sclerophyll species: possible factors explaining the declining distribution of Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris, an endemic Balearic species.

We sought to explain the declining distribution in the Balearic Islands of the endemic shrub Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris R. Chodat, by comparing its photosynthetic response to drought with that of several widely distributed, competing Mediterranean species (R. alaternus L., Quercus ilex L., Pistacia lentiscus L., Q. humilis Mill. and P. terebinthus L.). All of the study species, except for the two Rhamnus species, avoided desiccation by rapidly adjusting their stomatal conductance at the onset of drought, and maintaining constant leaf relative water content. The two Rhamnus species showed desiccation-tolerant behavior; i.e., as drought progressed, their predawn leaf relative water content decreased simultaneously with stomatal closure. All four desiccation-avoiding species showed a significant positive correlation between leaf thermal dissipation (estimated by the fluorescence parameter NPQ (non-photochemical quenching)) and the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle (DPS). The two Rhamnus species exhibited maximum DPS regardless of treatment, but only R. alaternus increased NPQ in response to drought. Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris had a high ratio of photorespiration to photosynthesis and a low intrinsic water-use efficiency; traits that are likely to be unfavorable for plant productivity under arid conditions. It also had the lowest DPS and thermal dissipation among the six species. We conclude that the photosynthetic traits of R. ludovici-salvatoris account for its limited ability to compete with other species in the Mediterranean region.