The ecophysiological significance of leaf movements in rhododendron-maximum

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dc.contributorVirginia Techen
dc.contributor.authorBao, Yijaen
dc.contributor.authorNilsen, Erik T.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Sciencesen
dc.date.accessed2014-03-11en
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-27T13:06:06Zen
dc.date.available2014-03-27T13:06:06Zen
dc.date.issued1988-10en
dc.description.abstractThe patterns of leaf movements and their environmental stimuli have been documented for over a century. Although there have been several studies on the physiological significance of heliotropisms, thermotropic movements have been largely ignored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ecophysiological significance of thermotropic leaf movements in a subcanopy plant through controlled experiments. Rhododendron maximum L. was selected because of its strong winter season, thermotropic leaf movements, and the ease of identifying even-aged leaf cohorts. A series of leaf manipulations was established to restrict curling, changes in leaf angle, or both. The effects of these treatments on leaf energy budget, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, and leaf survival were evaluated. Leaves that were maintained in a horizontal position (whether they were allowed to curl or not) had the greatest decrease in chlorophyll content and the most inhibited photosynthetic rate. Reduced photosynthetic potential was due to both lower quantum yield and lower light-saturated nthetic rates. Optimal temperature for photosynthesis was several degrees above air temperature, corresponding to a horizontal leaf temperature in a sunfleck. Leaf angle influenced leaf temperature during daylight and night time; but the influence was small and most likely had no ecophysiological significance. Leaf curling had little to no influence on the ecophysiological parameters measured in this study.en
dc.description.sponsorshipVPI SmallProject Grant (1896210)en
dc.description.sponsorshipSigma Xien
dc.description.sponsorshipVirginia Academy of Scienceen
dc.identifier.citationYijia Boa and Erik T. Nilsen 1988. The Ecophysiological Significance of Leaf Movements in Rhododendron Maximum. Ecology 69:1578-1587. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1941655en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.2307/1941655en
dc.identifier.issn0012-9658en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/46845en
dc.identifier.urlhttp://www.jstor.org/stable/1941655en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherEcological Society of Americaen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectAppalachian mountainsen
dc.subjectchlorophyllen
dc.subjectenergy budgeten
dc.subjectleaf angleen
dc.subjectleaf curlingen
dc.subjectleaf temperatureen
dc.subjectquantum yielden
dc.subjectRhododendron maximumen
dc.subjectthermotropic leaf movementsen
dc.titleThe ecophysiological significance of leaf movements in rhododendron-maximumen
dc.title.serialEcologyen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden

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