THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF CO2 CONCENTRATION AND ENHANCED UV-B RADIATIONON FABA BEAN .3. LEAF OPTICAL-PROPERTIES, PIGMENTS, STOMATAL INDEX AND EPIDERMAL-CELL DENSITY
Aj. Visser et al., THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF CO2 CONCENTRATION AND ENHANCED UV-B RADIATIONON FABA BEAN .3. LEAF OPTICAL-PROPERTIES, PIGMENTS, STOMATAL INDEX AND EPIDERMAL-CELL DENSITY, Plant ecology, 128(1-2), 1997, pp. 208-222
Seedlings of Vicia faba L. (cv. Minica) were grown in a factorial expe
riment in a greenhouse. The purpose of the study was to determine whet
her CO2 enrichment and supplemental UV-B radiation affect leaf optical
properties and whether the combined effects differ from single factor
effects. Seedlings were grown at either 380 mu mol mol(-1) 750 mu mol
mol(-1) CO2 and at four levels of W-B radiation. After 20 and 40 days
of treatment, absorptance, transmittance and reflectance of photosynt
hetically active radiation (PAR) were measured on the youngest fully d
eveloped leaf. On the same leaf, the specific leaf area on a fresh wei
ght basis (SLA(fw)), chlorophyll content, UV-B absorbance, transmittan
ce of UV light and stomatal index were measured. W-B radiation signifi
cantly increased PAR absorptance and decreased PAR transmittance. The
increased PAR absorptance can be explained by an increased chlorophyll
content in response to W-B radiation. Leaf transmittance of UV radiat
ion decreased with increasing UV-B levels mainly caused by increased a
bsorbance of UV absorbing compounds. UV-B radiation decreased both the
stomatal density and epidermal cell density of the abaxial leaf surfa
ce, leaving the stomatal index unchanged. Effects of CO2 enrichment we
re less pronounced than those of W-B radiation. The most important CO2
effect was an increase in stomatal density and epidermal cell density
of the adaxial leaf surface. The stomatal index was not affected. No
interaction between CO2 and UV-B radiation was found. The results are
discussed in relation to the internal light environment of the leaf.