Temperature fluctuations above the snow pack moderate UV-screening and recovery of photosynthetic capacity of Vaccinium vitis-idaea leaves during spring.

Kuvaus

Plants adjust their UV-screening and photosynthetic capacity to acclimate to the sunlight that they receive, but other environmental factors also play a role in determining those leaf traits that affect photoprotection and photosynthetic capacity.

By a non-destructive experimental approach I tried to explain how Climate change is expected to affect patterns of snowmelt, changing the depth and duration of the snowpack, which may disrupt the timing of seasonal acclimation in the field-layer community. we aimed to test the importance of exposure to fluctuating temperatures above the snowpack for leaves at different heights on hummocks of Vaccinium vitis-idaea (an evergreen shrub) growing in central Finland by monitoring the optical properties of these leaves during the winter and subsequent spring recovery.

This study showed that seasonal changes in sunlight, snow cover and temperature are all important in regulating UV screening and photosynthetic capacity, leading us to suggest that reduced snow cover and the increased accompanying temperature fluctuation at ground level may delay the spring recovery of photosynthesis with potentially negative impacts for carbon assimilation at high northern latitudes.

Aikajakso	7 jouluk. 2017
Pidetty	Univ Rouen, Irstea, University of Rouen, UFR Sci & Tech, Normandie Univ, Ecodiv URA EA 1293,IRSTEA,SFR Scale 4116, Ranska
Tunnustuksen arvo	Kansainvälinen