Photosynthetica 2002, 40(3):369-374 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1022670807608

Is the Lower Shade Tolerance of Scots Pine, Relative to Pedunculate Oak, Related to the Composition of Photosynthetic Pigments?

U. Hansen1, J. Schneiderheinze1, B. Rank1
1 Institut für Biologie, Pflanzenphysiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Foliage of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) was collected in a mixed pine/oak forest at canopy positions differing in radiation environment. In both species, chlorophyll (Chl) a/b ratios were higher in foliage of canopy positions exposed to higher irradiance as compared to more shaded crown layers. Throughout the growing season, pine needles exhibited significantly lower Chl a/b ratios than oak leaves acclimated to a similar photon availability. Hence, pine needles showed shade-type pigment characteristics relative to foliage of oak. At a given radiation environment, pine needles tended to contain more neoxanthin and lutein per unit of Chl than oak leaves. The differences in pigment composition between foliage of pine and oak can be explained by a higher ratio of outer antennae Chl to core complex Chl in needles of P. sylvestris which enhances the efficiency of photon capture under limiting irradiance. The shade-type pigment composition of pine relative to oak foliage could have been due to a reduced mesophyll internal photon exposure of chloroplasts in needles of Scots pine, resulting from their xeromorphic anatomy. Hence, the higher drought tolerance of pine needles could be achieved at the expense of shade tolerance.

Additional key words: chlorophyll; lutein; neoxanthin; Pinus sylvestris; Quercus robur; shade tolerance

Published: September 1, 2002  Show citation

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Hansen, U., Schneiderheinze, J., & Rank, B. (2002). Is the Lower Shade Tolerance of Scots Pine, Relative to Pedunculate Oak, Related to the Composition of Photosynthetic Pigments? Photosynthetica, 40(3), 369-374. doi: 10.1023/A:1022670807608
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