Effects of environmental salinity on carbon isotope discrimination and stomatal conductance in Spartina grasses

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 313:305-310 (2006) - doi:10.3354/meps313305 Effects of environmental salinity on carbon isotope discrimination and stomatal conductance in Spartina grasses Brian R. Maricle*, Raymond W. Lee School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, Washington 99164-4236, USA *Email: bmaricle@mail.wsu.edu ABSTRACT: High salinity levels have long been recognized as an important environmental factor influencing plant growth and performance. Salt stress and concomitant water stress are likely to affect photosynthesis by reductions in stomatal conductance necessary to prevent loss of water vapor. Despite inundation with saline water, salt marsh communities exhibit high primary productivity. This study tested the effects of 0 to 40‰ salinity on leaf carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), leaf stomatal conductance (gs), and leaf conductance to CO2 (gCO2) in the emergent estuarine C4 grasses Spartina alterniflora, S. anglica, and S. patens. Δ increased with increasing salinity in greenhouse and growth chamber experiments. gs and gCO2 peaked at moderate salinity levels (10 to 20‰) but significantly decreased at higher salinities in all species. KEY WORDS: Salt stress · Photosynthesis · Spartina · δ13C · Stable isotopes Full text in pdf format PreviousExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 313. Online publication date: May 11, 2006 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2006 Inter-Research.