Carbon Gain in Relation to Water Use: Photosynthesis in Mangroves
257
mangrove species depends strongly on salinity and aridity (Saenger et al.
1977). Salinity affects the supply of water at the roots, whereas aridity affects
the demand for water at the leaves. Growth of two mangrove species,
Rhizophora apiculata and R. stylosa, in response to different combinations
of salinity and humidity, was consistent with the distributions of these
species along natural salinity and aridity gradients in northern Australia.
However, their growth responses to salinity and humidity changed with a
doubling in the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Elevated CO2 had little
effect on growth when salinity was limiting but stimulated growth when it
was limited by humidity. Both species benefited most from elevated CO2
under the low salinity conditions in which they grow well, but under elevated
CO2, growth was enhanced more in the less salt-tolerant and more rapidly
growing species, R. apiculata. It appears that mangrove species will not
expand their distributions into areas in which the salinities exceed current
tolerances, but elevated CO2 may change competitive ran kings of species
which could change forest composition in relation to salinity regimes, particularly along aridity gradients.
References
Andrews TJ, Muller GJ (1985) Photosynthetic gas exchange of the mangrove, Rhizophora
stylosa Griff, in its natural environment. Oecologia 65: 449-455
Andrews TJ, Clough BF, Muller GJ (1984) Photosynthetic gas exchange and carbon
isotope ratios of some mangroves in North Queensland. In: Teas HJ (ed) Physiology
and management of mangroves. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 9. Junk, The Hague,
pp 15-23
Ball MC (1986) Photosynthesis in mangroves. Wetlands (Aust) 6: 12-22
Ball MC (1988a) Ecophysiology of mangroves. Trees 2: 129-142
Ball MC (1988b) Salinity tolerance in the mangroves, Aegiceras corniculatum and
Avicennia marina. I. Water use in relation to growth, carbon partitioning and salt
balance. Aust J Plant Physiol 15: 447-464
Ball MC, Critchley C (1982) Photosynthetic responses to irradiance by the grey mangrove,
Avicennia marina, grown under different light regimes. Plant Physiol 74: 7-11
Ball MC, Farquhar GD (1984a) Photosynthetic and stomatal responses of two mangrove species, Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina, to long term salinity and
humidity conditions. Plant Physiol 74: 1-6
Ball MC, Farquhar GD (1984b) Photosynthetic and stomatal responses of the grey
mangrove, A vicennia marina, to transient salinity conditions. Plant Physiol 74: 7-11
Ball MC, Munns R (1992) Plant responses to salinity under elevated atmospheric concentrations of CO2, Aust J Bot 40: 515-525
Ball MC, Cowan JR, Farquhar GD (1988) Maintenance of leaf temperature and the
optimisation of carbon gain in relation to water loss in a tropical mangrove forest. Aust
J Plant Physiol15: 263-276
Bjorkman 0, Demmig B, Andrews TJ (1988) Mangrove photosynthesis: response to high
irradiance stress. Aust J Plant Physiol 15: 43-61
Camilleri JC, Ribi G (1983) Leaf thickness of mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) growing in
different salinities. Biotropica 15: 139-141
257
mangrove species depends strongly on salinity and aridity (Saenger et al.
1977). Salinity affects the supply of water at the roots, whereas aridity affects
the demand for water at the leaves. Growth of two mangrove species,
Rhizophora apiculata and R. stylosa, in response to different combinations
of salinity and humidity, was consistent with the distributions of these
species along natural salinity and aridity gradients in northern Australia.
However, their growth responses to salinity and humidity changed with a
doubling in the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Elevated CO2 had little
effect on growth when salinity was limiting but stimulated growth when it
was limited by humidity. Both species benefited most from elevated CO2
under the low salinity conditions in which they grow well, but under elevated
CO2, growth was enhanced more in the less salt-tolerant and more rapidly
growing species, R. apiculata. It appears that mangrove species will not
expand their distributions into areas in which the salinities exceed current
tolerances, but elevated CO2 may change competitive ran kings of species
which could change forest composition in relation to salinity regimes, particularly along aridity gradients.
References
Andrews TJ, Muller GJ (1985) Photosynthetic gas exchange of the mangrove, Rhizophora
stylosa Griff, in its natural environment. Oecologia 65: 449-455
Andrews TJ, Clough BF, Muller GJ (1984) Photosynthetic gas exchange and carbon
isotope ratios of some mangroves in North Queensland. In: Teas HJ (ed) Physiology
and management of mangroves. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 9. Junk, The Hague,
pp 15-23
Ball MC (1986) Photosynthesis in mangroves. Wetlands (Aust) 6: 12-22
Ball MC (1988a) Ecophysiology of mangroves. Trees 2: 129-142
Ball MC (1988b) Salinity tolerance in the mangroves, Aegiceras corniculatum and
Avicennia marina. I. Water use in relation to growth, carbon partitioning and salt
balance. Aust J Plant Physiol 15: 447-464
Ball MC, Critchley C (1982) Photosynthetic responses to irradiance by the grey mangrove,
Avicennia marina, grown under different light regimes. Plant Physiol 74: 7-11
Ball MC, Farquhar GD (1984a) Photosynthetic and stomatal responses of two mangrove species, Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina, to long term salinity and
humidity conditions. Plant Physiol 74: 1-6
Ball MC, Farquhar GD (1984b) Photosynthetic and stomatal responses of the grey
mangrove, A vicennia marina, to transient salinity conditions. Plant Physiol 74: 7-11
Ball MC, Munns R (1992) Plant responses to salinity under elevated atmospheric concentrations of CO2, Aust J Bot 40: 515-525
Ball MC, Cowan JR, Farquhar GD (1988) Maintenance of leaf temperature and the
optimisation of carbon gain in relation to water loss in a tropical mangrove forest. Aust
J Plant Physiol15: 263-276
Bjorkman 0, Demmig B, Andrews TJ (1988) Mangrove photosynthesis: response to high
irradiance stress. Aust J Plant Physiol 15: 43-61
Camilleri JC, Ribi G (1983) Leaf thickness of mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) growing in
different salinities. Biotropica 15: 139-141