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Carbon Gain in Relation to Water Use: Photosynthesis in Mangroves

  • Chapter
Ecophysiology of Photosynthesis

Part of the book series: Springer Study Edition ((SSE,volume 100))

Abstract

“Mangrove” is an ecological term referring to a taxonomically diverse association of woody trees and shrubs that form the dominant vegetation in tidal, saline wetlands along tropical and subtropical coasts (Tomlinson 1986). The photosynthetic characteristics of mangroves are clearly those of plants utilizing C3 photosynthetic biochemistry (Ball 1986). There is, however, a remarkable feature of the gas exchange characteristics of mangroves. Despite growing in environments with an abundant water supply, they transpire slowly and maintain high water use efficiencies for C3 plants (Ball and Farquhar 1984a,b). These water use characteristics become increasingly conservative with increase in the salinities in which the plants are grown and with increase in the salt tolerance of the species (Ball 1988a). Conservative water use may have adaptive significance for survival in saline environments, but such behavior has far-reaching consequences for plant functioning. Maximizing carbon gain relative to water use is a whole-plant phenomenon involving a complex balance between several levels of plant function: stomatal behavior in relation to photosynthesis, variation in leaf properties in relation to light interception and evaporative demand, and the partitioning of carbon between structures supplying and those consuming carbon-based assimilates (Cowan and Farquhar 1977; Cowan 1986). Differences in water use characteristics thus find expression at all levels of plant form and function, and indeed are major determinants of mangrove forest structure along natural salinity gradients (Ball 1988a).

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Authors
  1. M. C. Ball
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  2. J. B. Passioura
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenökologie, Universität Bayreuth, Postfach 101251, Bayreuth, D-95447, Germany

    Ernst-Detlef Schulze

  2. Department of Range Science and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-5230, USA

    Martyn M. Caldwell

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© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Ball, M.C., Passioura, J.B. (1995). Carbon Gain in Relation to Water Use: Photosynthesis in Mangroves. In: Schulze, ED., Caldwell, M.M. (eds) Ecophysiology of Photosynthesis. Springer Study Edition, vol 100. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79354-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79354-7_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-58571-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-79354-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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