Growth, leaf temperatures, and leaf conductances of C3 forbs and C4 grasses in a tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas, USA

Abstract

Summary Shoot growth, leaf temperatures, and leaf conductances to water vapor were measured for dominant C3 forbs and C4 grasses (including one sedge) in a tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas. Most species, regardless of photosynthetic pathway, completed their vegetative growth in July. Growth after this date was, for the most part, due to inflorescence production. Throughout the summer, leaf temperatures and conductances were similar between the forbs and grasses. There was a tendency toward lower leaf temperatures and higher conductances in the C3 forbs but such differences were not always statistically significant. Thus, dramatic ecophysiological differences expected as a result of photosynthetic pathway alone were not observed in this in situ study of C3 and C4 prairie species.