Biomass and leaf-level gas exchange characteristics of three African savanna C₄ grass species under optimum growth conditions

C₄ savanna grass species, Digitaria eriantha, Eragrostis lehmanniana and Panicum repens, were grown under optimum growth conditions with the aim of characterizing their above- and below-ground biomass allocation and the response of their gas exchange to changes in light intensity, CO₂ concentration...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:African journal of ecology Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 482 - 489
Main Authors: Mantlana, K.B, Veenendaal, E.M, Arneth, A, Grispen, V, Bonyongo, C.M, Heitkonig, I.G, Lloyd, J
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2009
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Subjects:
above- and below-ground biomass
aboveground biomass
belowground biomass
Biomass
Biomass energy
botswana
C4 grasses
C4 plants
carbon
Carbon dioxide
Conductance
C₄ grasses
Digitaria eriantha
drought
dry matter partitioning
elevated co2
Eragrostis lehmanniana
Gas exchange
gas exchange characteristics
Gases
Grasses
Grasslands
Growth conditions
humidity
leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit
Light intensity
Okavango Delta
Panicum repens
photosynthesis
Plant growth
plants
responses
Savannahs
savannas
stomata
Stomatal conductance
stomatal movement
Vapor pressure
Water use
Water use efficiency
yield
Africa
ISSN:0141-6707, 1365-2028
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:C₄ savanna grass species, Digitaria eriantha, Eragrostis lehmanniana and Panicum repens, were grown under optimum growth conditions with the aim of characterizing their above- and below-ground biomass allocation and the response of their gas exchange to changes in light intensity, CO₂ concentration and leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit gradient (Dl). Digitaria eriantha showed the largest above- and below-ground biomass, high efficiency in carbon gain under light-limiting conditions, high water use efficiency (WUE) and strong stomatal sensitivity to Dl (P = 0.002; r² = 0.5). Panicum repens had a high aboveground biomass and attained high light saturated photosynthetic rates (Asat, 47 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹), stomatal conductance, (gsat, 0.25 mol m⁻² s⁻¹) at relatively high WUE. Eragrostis lehmanniana had almost half the biomass of other species, and had similar Asat and gsat but were attained at lower WUE than the other species. This species also showed the weakest stomatal response to Dl (P = 0.19, r² = 0. 1). The potential ecological significance of the contrasting patterns of biomass allocation and variations in gas exchange parameters among the species are discussed.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2008.00961.x
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ArticleID:AJE961
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ISSN:0141-6707
1365-2028
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2008.00961.x