Relationships between growth, photosynthesis and competitive interactions for a C3 and C4 plant
- 28 February 1981
- journal article
- Published by Springer Nature in Oecologia
- Vol. 48 (3) , 371-376
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00346497
Abstract
The relationships of photosynthetic characteristics to the competitive interactions of a C3 plant, Chenopodium album, and a C4 plant, Amaranthis retroflexus, were investigated in different temperature and water supply regimes. Both species had similar photosynthetic rates at 25°C, but at higher temperatures, Amaranthus had substantially greater rates than Chenopodium. Conversely, at lower temperatures, Chenopodium had an advantage. The competitive abilities in mixtures exhibited a close parallel to the photosynthetic performances with Amaranthus having an advantage at high temperatures and Chenopodium an advantage at low temperatures. These competitive outcomes were determined primarily by differences in relative growth rates prior to canopy closure. In the respective, temperature regimes, the species having the highest photosynthetic rate, which resulted an more rapid growth, overtopped and shaded the other species at the time of canopy closure. These results demonstrate that differences in photosynthetic temperature response between C4 and C3 plants can be an important determinant in competitive interactions, but at least in this case, the influence is primarily through, events prior to the actual initiation of competition. In contrast to temperature, growth of the plants under limited water supply had no influence on the competitive interactions. Thus, the presence of the C4 pathway alone was not sufficient to yield a competitive advantage over the C3 species under water limited conditions.Keywords
This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- Implications of quantum yield differences on the distributions of C3 and C4 grassesOecologia, 1978
- Quantum Yields for CO2 Uptake in C3 and C4 PlantsPlant Physiology, 1977
- Temperature responses of growth and photosynthetic CO2 exchange rates in coastal and desert races of Atriplex lentiformisOecologia, 1976
- Climatic patterns and the distribution of C4 grasses in North AmericaOecologia, 1976
- Ecophysiology of C4 GrassesPublished by Springer Nature ,1976
- COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN HIGHER PLANTSPublished by Elsevier ,1973
- Ecological Implications of dividing Plants into Groups with Distinct Photosynthetic Production CapacitiesPublished by Elsevier ,1971
- Comparative photosynthesis, growth and transpiration of two species of AtriplexPlanta, 1970
- Photosynthetic Efficiencies and Photorespiration in Calvin Cycle and C4‐Dicarboxylic Acid Plants1Crop Science, 1969
- Differences in transpiration rates between tropical and temperate grasses under controlled conditionsPlanta, 1969