Photosynthetic Characteristics of Arctic Plants

Abstract

Polar plants have to adapt to the rigorous environment, such as: chilliness, storm wind, and intense illumination. Six Arctic plants were measured by chlorophyll content, leaf area, photosynthesis characters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The results showed that they appeared obvious differences by measuring chlorophyll content for 24 h. The highest chlorophyll contents of Silene acaulis and Deschampsia alpina were in the evening, and their photosynthesis were ongoing, but the highest chlorophyll contents of others were in the noon. The rapid light curve (RLC) showed that the Arctic plants have adapted to the stronger light intensity of daytime. For the photosynthetic ability of photosystem II [Y(II)], Saxifraga hieracifolia was the highest, Salix polaris, Deschampsia alpina, and Silene acaulis were intermediate; the quotient of photochemical quenching (qP) showed the photosynthetic activity of Saxifraga hieracifolia was the highest, and Salix polaris was the lowest; the quotient of non-photochemical quenching (qN) showed most Arctic plants were more adaptive to intense light than the control Poa pratensis, except Silene acaulis and Deschampsia alpina.KeywordsPhotosynthesisArctic plantsAdaptations