We used Y-plant, a computer-based model of plant crown architecture analysis, to simulate effects of defoliation on daily canopy carbon gain in Psychotria marginata (Rubiaceae) plants under two contrasting irradiances. Five levels of defoliation were simulated using two different types of leaf blade damage. Compensatory increases in photon-saturated photosynthetic capacity (Pmax) of 25, 50, and 100 % defoliation were also simulated. In all simulations daily photon capture and CO2 assimilation increased with defoliation. However, without a compensatory response, daily canopy carbon gain also decreased with defoliation. Under high irradiance, reduction in daily canopy carbon gain was less than what would be expected if the response was proportional to leaf area reduction. Thus, 25 and 50 % defoliation resulted in only 20 and 41 % of daily canopy carbon gain reduction, respectively. In the scenario where 25 % of the leaf area was removed, if the Pmax value was increased by 25 %, the remaining leaves compensated for 94 % of the daily canopy carbon relative to an undamaged non-compensated plant. At the same defoliation level, incrementing Pmax values by 50 and 100 % resulted in overcompensation. Hence, because the increment of daily photon capture and CO2 assimilation after defoliation was more a passive consequence of the reduction in leaf area than an active response, under the conditions tested photosynthetic compensation could be only possible through an active mechanism such as the increment of Pmax values. and D. Gálvez, A. Cohen-Fernández.
The photosynthetic rate of seed wings developed from sepals was compared with the leaf photosynthetic rate in nine dipterocarp tree species (Dipterocarpus pachyphyllus, Dryobalanops aromatica, Dryobalanops lanceolata, Shorea beccariana, Shorea ferruginea, Shorea macroptera ssp. bailonii, Shorea macroptera ssp. macropterifolia, Shorea pilosa, and Vatica spp.). The wings showed positive photosynthetic activity, but at much lower rates than in the leaves. The daily CO2 uptake of wings showed slightly negative values in diurnal gas exchange measurements, even in D. aromatica that showed the highest photosynthetic capacity of all nine species. This low photosynthetic rate in the wings may be the result of low nitrogen and chlorophyll contents in the wing compared with leaves. However, the wings had a higher C/N ratio than leaves, and were thicker. Hence, dipterocarp wings have physical strength and defence against herbivores as higher priorities than photosynthetic activity. and T. Kenzo ... [et al.].