Abstract
Transpirational and net photosynthetic rates of several species of desert shrubs were measured as a function of season and environmental variables at the Nevada Test Site in the northern Mojave Desert. Drought—deciduous species, Ambrosia dumosa (Grey) Payne, Lycium andersonii Grey, and Lycium pallidum Miers, had higher maximum rates and greater water loss than the evergreen, Larrea tridentata Munz, and summer green, Krameria parvifolia Benth., species. Moisture status was the most critical factor determining gas exchange rates and affected temperatre optima and acclimation as the season progressed. Because of a dry spring season, the drought—deciduous species became dormant in late May—early June: the other two species exhibited by mid—June a small positive CO2 uptake during the morning period. Desert plant species, with few exceptions, are extremely labile and exhibit large variability and different adaptive strategies.
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