Effects of Ozone and/or Soil Water Stress on Growth and Photosynthesis of Fagaus Crenata Seedlings

The effects of ozone (O3) and soil water stress, singly and in combination, on the growth and photosynthesis of Fagus crenata seedlings were investigated. Four-year-old seedlings were exposed to charcoal-filtered air (<5 nmol mol-1 O3) or 60 nmol mor-1 O3, 7 hours per day (11:00)-18:00), for 156 days from 10 May to 11 October 1999 in naturally-lit growth chambers at 20/15C (6:00-18:00/18:00-6:00). During the same period, half of the seedlings in each gas treatment received 250 mL of water at the 3-day intervals (wellwatered treatment), while the rest received 175 mL of water at the 3-day intervals (water-stressed treatment). The exposure of the seedlings to O3 caused reductions in the leaf, stem, root and whole-plant dry weights. The net photosynthetic rate at 350 μmol mol-1 CO2, the maximum net photosynthetic rate at saturated CO2- concentration, carboxylation efficiency of photosynthesis and Rubisco content were significantly reduced by the exposure to O3. The soil water stress induced reductions in the stem, bud and whole-plant dry weights, transpiration rate and leaf water potential during the midday. The additive effects of O3 and soil water stress were observed on the dry matter production, leaf gas exchange rates and leaf water potential. As a result, the whole-plant dry weight of the seedlings exposed to both stresses was markedly reduced compared with that of the seedlings exposed to charcoal-filtered air and grown in the well-watered treatment.