Photosynthetic Properties of Miscanthus condensatus at Volcanically Devastated Sites on Miyake-jima Island

How photosynthetic-related leaf traits of non-nitrogen (N)-fixing pioneer species respond to extreme habitat conditions of primary succession is still not well-elucidated, especially in volcanically N-deplete habitats. The effect of N-deplete soil on photosynthetic-related leaf traits can provide a basis for predicting how plants adjust their strategies to adapt to such habitats. To examine the responses of leaf traits to extreme conditions, we investigated Miscanthus condensatus (a non-N-fixing C₄ pioneer grass) which grows on a volcanically devastated area on Miyake-jima Island, Japan, in which the volcanic ash has been deposited for 17-18 years since the 2000-year eruption. Leaf N content (N_area), light-saturated photosynthetic rate (A_max), and photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) in three contrasting study sites: bare land (BL), shrub land gap (SLG), and shrub land under canopy (SLUC) were determined. Results indicated that compared to previous studies and internal comparison of Miyake Island, M. condensatus in BL was able to maintain a relatively high A_max, N_area and PNUE. The higher A_max was in part a result of the higher PNUE. This is a characteristic necessary for its successful growth in N-deplete soils. These results suggest that M. condensatus has photosynthetic-related advantages for adaptation to volcanically N-deplete habitats.