Chronic photoinhibition in seedlings of tropical trees.

Seedlings of five canopy species of tropical trees from Costa Rica and Puerto Rico were grown in full shade (midday range of photosynthetic photon flux density [PPFD], 100–140 µmol m-2 s-1), partial shade (midday PPFD, 400–600 µmol m-2 s-1) and full sun (midday PPFD, 1500–1800 µmol m-2 s-1) for 3 months. The species were Ochroma lagopus (Bombacaceae), a pioneer species; Inga edulis (Fabaceae), found in secondary forest; and Dipteryx panamensis (Fabaceae), Hampea appendiculata (Malvaceae), and Manilkara bidentata (Sapotaceae), three species characteristic of primary forest. After the plants were placed in the dark overnight, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics were measured for recently expanded and mature leaves. The ratio of variable fluorescence to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) was used to estimate the degree of chronic photoinhibition. Only individuals of one species, Dipteryx panamensis, showed significant depression of Fv/Fm after long-term exposure to full sun. The depression was highly correlated with quantum yield of O2 evolution which also declined after exposure to full sun. The decline may have been related to foliar N concentration. Although all plants were supplied with ample nutrients, foliar N did not increase significantly for Dipteryx seedlings in full sun, whereas it did for Ochroma and Inga. Leaf age affected Fv/Fm only in the cases of Manilkara, where it was slightly lower in recently expanded leaves, and of Dipteryx where it interacted with the effects of light regime. We conclude that chronic photoinhibition is not common in seedlings of canopy trees of tropical rain forests except when availability of mineral nutrients may be limiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]