[Physiological responses of 2-year-old Acer davidii seedings to short-term enhanced UV-B radiation]

At the Maoxian Ecological Experimental Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences in northwest Sichuan Province, 2-year-old native maple(Acer davidii) seedlings were potted outdoors with enhanced UV-B radiation(280 - 320 nm) of 0.27 W x m(-2) (7.7 kJ x m(-2) x d(-1)), which was approximated to the predicted enhanced UV-B reaching the earth surface when stratosphere ozone was depleted by 15% in the local area, with the control plant received ambient UV-B. The gas exchange index and chlorophyll fluorescence, and the contents of chlorophyll and UV-absorbing compounds were examined after 50 days of the radiation. The results showed that enhanced UV-B radiation significantly lowered the maximal net photosynthetic rate (CK = 6.214, TR = 4.452), raised the dark respiration rate(CK = 0.413, TR = 1.295) and light compensation point (CK = 21.629, TR = 59.861), but had little effect on quantum yield (CK = 0.021, TR = 0.032). Under enhanced UV-B radiation, the diurnal changes in net photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, quantum efficiency of photosystem II centers (Fv/Fm), and quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry (phi(pspi)) were reduced, chlorophyll a, total chlorophylls, and chlorophyll a/b (CK= 16.23, 5.39, TR = 13.17, 4.93) were also markedly reduced, but chlorophyll b remained nearly unchanged. Contrary to the previous studies, enhanced UV-B radiation decreased the content of UV-absorbing compounds (CK = 0.87, TR = 0.79) in 2-year-old Acer davidii seedling leaves, indicating that the measurement of leaf UV-B absorbing compounds didn't necessarily provide a good indicator of plant tolerance to UV-B. It could be concluded that enhanced UV-B radiation had some inhibitory effects on the photosynthesis of Acer davidii seedlings. Long-term researches are necessary to confirm this conclusion.