Original paper
A comparative study on ecophysiological characteristics of the two overwintering host mosses of gallaphids
Li, Jing; Liu, Yingdi; Cao, Tong; Wu, Yuhuan; Shi, Jinxiao
Nova Hedwigia Band 68 Heft 1-2 (1999), p. 233 - 240
25 references
published: Mar 15, 1999
DOI: 10.1127/nova.hedwigia/68/1999/233
ArtNo. ESP050006801012, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Plagiomnium acutum (Lindb.) T. Kop. and Herpetineuron toccoae (Sull. et Lesq.) Card., widely distributed in the gallnut producing areas of China, are regarded as the best and most important overwintering host moss species of gallaphids in China. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), dark-respiration (Rd) and water use efficiency (WUE) for P. acutum and H. toccoac were measured under the natural conditions of different weather. The experimental results and comparison analysis show: 1) The Pn of P. acutum was lower on sunny days but higher on cloudy and rainy days than that of H. toccoae. It indicates that P. acutum has greater capacity to absorb and use weak light and has higher C02 assimilation efficiency than H. toccoae does in shady and wet habitats. 2) The Tr of H. toccoae is ussually lower than that of P. acutum, whereas the WUE of the former is higher than that of the latter. Therefore, H. toccoae seems to have a high capability to tolerate high temperatures and dry environments. 3) The Rd of P. acutum is distinctly higher than that of H. toccoea. However, the Rd of both species gradually decreases with temperature increase and a decrease in relative humidity (RH). According to the results of present study, it is important to control temperature and RH in cultivation and propagation of the wintering host mosses of gallaphids.
Keywords
China • overwintering host moss species • dark-respiration