7 Photosynthesis, Storage, and Allocation
K. Fichtner, G.W. Koch, and H.A. Mooney
7.1 Introduction
Here we review patterns and consequences of allocation and storage of
resources by plants in relation to their photosynthetic capacity. We relate
these phenomena to resource availability, plant growth rate, and plant
growth form. We concentrate our chapter on the organ and whole plant
dimensions of allocation. Various aspects of this problem have been reviewed recently, such as storage relationships to growth rate (Chapin et al.
1990), carbon allocation and tissue costs (Chiariello et al. 1989), allocation
and stress (Mooney and Winner 1991), allocation modeling (Bastow-Wilson
1988), and controls on carbon partitioning (Wardlaw 1990), so here we
cover these topics lightly or not at all.
In order to evaluate the relationships among resources, photosynthesis,
and storage, we concentrate our discussion on results of experiments utilizing
cultivars or treatments differing in critical parameters related to either resource availability, resource acquisition, or resources storage. First, we
examine tobacco plants that have been engineered to have differing photosynthetic capacities. Then we examine controls on root/shoot allocation in
wild radish grown under conditions producing a wide range of shoot activity
(photosynthesis) and root activity (nitrate uptake). Finally, we compare
resource storage in a wild type and cultivar of lima bean that differ in a
number of basic resources processing parameters.
7.2 The Impact of Photosynthesis on Growth, Storage,
and Biomass Allocation in Transgenic Tobacco
To understand the ecophysiological relevance of photosynthesis for growth,
storage, and allocation, it is desirable to alter the rate of photosynthesis
independently of other plant parameters. Changing resource availability in
order to change photosynthesis not only alters the rate of photosynthesis but
may have secondary effects on whole plant physiology. This is shown, for
example, for light, which affects photosynthesis directly as well as having
photomorphogenetic effects (Mohr 1972), and nitrogen (N), which also has
K. Fichtner, G.W. Koch, and H.A. Mooney
7.1 Introduction
Here we review patterns and consequences of allocation and storage of
resources by plants in relation to their photosynthetic capacity. We relate
these phenomena to resource availability, plant growth rate, and plant
growth form. We concentrate our chapter on the organ and whole plant
dimensions of allocation. Various aspects of this problem have been reviewed recently, such as storage relationships to growth rate (Chapin et al.
1990), carbon allocation and tissue costs (Chiariello et al. 1989), allocation
and stress (Mooney and Winner 1991), allocation modeling (Bastow-Wilson
1988), and controls on carbon partitioning (Wardlaw 1990), so here we
cover these topics lightly or not at all.
In order to evaluate the relationships among resources, photosynthesis,
and storage, we concentrate our discussion on results of experiments utilizing
cultivars or treatments differing in critical parameters related to either resource availability, resource acquisition, or resources storage. First, we
examine tobacco plants that have been engineered to have differing photosynthetic capacities. Then we examine controls on root/shoot allocation in
wild radish grown under conditions producing a wide range of shoot activity
(photosynthesis) and root activity (nitrate uptake). Finally, we compare
resource storage in a wild type and cultivar of lima bean that differ in a
number of basic resources processing parameters.
7.2 The Impact of Photosynthesis on Growth, Storage,
and Biomass Allocation in Transgenic Tobacco
To understand the ecophysiological relevance of photosynthesis for growth,
storage, and allocation, it is desirable to alter the rate of photosynthesis
independently of other plant parameters. Changing resource availability in
order to change photosynthesis not only alters the rate of photosynthesis but
may have secondary effects on whole plant physiology. This is shown, for
example, for light, which affects photosynthesis directly as well as having
photomorphogenetic effects (Mohr 1972), and nitrogen (N), which also has