Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2014, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (3): 282-291.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2014.00282

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Effect of Soil Water Stress on Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in Reaumuria soongorica Seedlings

Dongmei Geng1, Lishan Shan1, Yi Li1*, Жигунов Анатолий Васильевич2   

  1. 1College of Forestry Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China

    2Saint Petersburg Academy of Forestry Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 191028
  • Received:2013-08-01 Revised:2013-11-03 Online:2014-05-01 Published:2014-06-03
  • Contact: Yi Li

Abstract: We investigated the effect of different soil water stress on chlorophyll fluorescence variables, chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme activities in 2-year-old Reaumuria soongorica seedlings. Chlorophyll content significantly decreased with increasing soil water stress. Compared with the control, under medium water stress and severe water stress, chlorophyll content decreased by 15.3% and 25.7%, respectively; and Chl a and Chl b increased by 7.4% and 36.9%, respectively. Thus, under soil water stress conditions, the chlorophyll content and the content of Chl (a/b) binding proteins (LHCII) decreased, the capture of leaf to light energy was reduced, and the risk of photosynthetic apparatus damage was reduced. Fo increased with increasing soil water stress, however Fm, Fv/Fo and Fv/Fm decreased. Thus, soil water stress could cause a certain degree of damage or fracture to its PSII reaction center. Soil water stress produced some changes in antioxidant enzyme activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, so R. soongorica shows good tolerance to soil water stress.