Botanica Pacifica. A journal of plant science and conservation 2026. Preprint
Article first published online: 29 NOV 2025 | DOI: 10.17581/bp.2026.15102
Diurnal and seasonal dynamics of leaf gas exchange in Quercus pubescens in different water availability conditions
Yuri V. Plugatar
,
Svetlana P. Korsakova
&
Maksim S. Kovalev Nikitsky Botanical Gardens – National Scientific Center RAS, Yalta, Russia
This paper presents the results of a study on the diurnal and seasonal dynamics of photosynthetic parameters in Quercus pubescens leaves under varying water availability and temperature regimes on the southern coast of Crimea. With a sufficient water supply, the diurnal performance of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration followed a typical parabolic pattern. On hot days with low-to-moderate drought, however, they exhibited a bimodal pattern with a midday depression. Under severe drought, a sharp decline in CO2 gas exchange was observed, often falling below the compensation point. When exposed to high temperatures, low and moderate soil water deficit. Stomatal regulation was the primary reducing factor for photosynthesis in Q. pubescens; however, under severe drought, the inhibition of metabolic processes became dominant. Photosynthetic activity recovered after 14 to 20 days of stress relief, confirming the presence of physiological plasticity but also indicating the limits of its resilience under extreme conditions. Identifying the relationships between gas exchange parameters and environmental conditions allows for an assessment of Q. pubescens's adaptive potential to climate change. These relationships can also be used to evaluate its leaf assimilatory activity during the active growing season.
Плугатарь Ю.В., Корсакова С.П., Ковалев М.С. Суточная и сезонная динамика газообмена листьев Quercus pubescens при различной водообеспеченности. В работе представлены результаты исследования суточной и сезонной динамики фотосинтетических параметров листьев Quercus pubescens Willd. в условиях различной водообеспеченности и температурного режима на Южном берегу Крыма. При достаточном водоснабжении дневной ход фотосинтеза, устьичной проводимости и транспирации характеризовался типичной параболической кривой, в жаркие дни, при слабой и умеренной засухе он приобретал двухпиковый характер с депрессией в полуденные часы, при сильной засухе выявлено резкое падение СО2-газообмена, нередко опускающегося ниже компенсационной точки. В условиях воздействии высоких температур при слабом и умеренном дефиците почвенной влаги основным фактором снижения фотосинтеза у Q. pubescens являлось устьичное ограничение, тогда как при сильной засухе доминирующим становилось ингибирование метаболических процессов. Для восстановления фотосинтетической активности после снятия стресса требовалось от 14 до 20 суток, что подтверждает наличие физиологической пластичности, но также указывает на пределы устойчивости при экстремальных условиях. Выявлены зависимости показателей газообмена от внешних условий среды, которые позволяют оценить адаптационный потенциал Q. pubescens к климатическим изменениям, а также могут быть использованы для потенциальной оценки ассимиляционной активности его листьев в период активной вегетации.
Keywords: downy oak, leaf gas exchange, ecological plasticity, drought adaptation, дуб пушистый, газообмен листьев, экологическая пластичность, адаптация к засухе
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