Author(s)

Akira Haraguchi, Nanae Yamada

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We investigated the temperature dependency of photosynthetic rates for five Sphagnum species: Sphagnum palustre, S. fimbriatum in the Tadewara mire (south-western Japan in a warm-temperate zone) and S. papillosum, S. fuscum, S. fallax in the East Ochiishi mire (north-eastern Japan in a cool-temperate zone) measuring photosynthetic light response within a temperature range between 5 and 40^。C. The maximum photosynthetic rate was obtained at T = 35^。C for S. palustre, S. fuscum and S. papillosum, and at T = 30^。C for S. fimbriatum and S. fallax. Photosynthetic rates of all these species showed a maximum at 300 - 500 μmol·m^-2·s^-1 of PPFD and it decreased at higher PPFD (>500 μmol·m^-2·s^-1) under low temperature (5^。C - 10^。C). These results imply that Sphagnum species are not fully physiologically adapted to low temperature environments, although Sphagnum species distribute mostly in the circumpolar region.

Carbon Dioxide Exchange, Photosynthesis, Sphagnum, Temperature Dependence

A. Haraguchi and N. Yamada, "Temperature Dependency of Photosynthesis of Sphagnum spp. Distributed in the Warm-Temperate and the Cool-Temperate Mires of Japan," American Journal of Plant Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 5, 2011, pp. 716-725. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2011.25086.