Eurasian journal of forest research;Vol.12-1

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Photosynthetic productivity of three coniferous species in Baikal Siberia, Eastern Russia

Suvorova, Galina G.;Yankova, Ludmila S.;Kopytova, Lidia D.

Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/38224
KEYWORDS : conifers;inter-annual and intra-annual changes of photosynthetic productivity;ecosystem-specific features of annual CO2 gain;Baikal Siberia

Abstract

This paper explores changes in photosynthetic productivities of common pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) and Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) during several successive years. Considered are both inter-annual and intra-annual changes, with intra-annual periods defined as early spring (April-May 15), spring-summer (May 16-June 15), summer (June 16-August 31), and autumn (September 1-the first week of November). The study has revealed that high annual photosynthetic productivities in the different species concerned correlates with particular weather conditions during the vegetation periods. The total amount of carbon dioxide assimilated by the two evergreen coniferous species in the early spring, spring-summer and autumn exceeded the amount assimilated in the summer and was as large as 50-70% of the annual value. Meanwhile larch has been found to assimilate more than half of the total annual CO2 in the summer. It is concluded that the characteristics of inter- and intra-annual dynamics of photosynthetic productivity identified in this study offer an opportunity to account for some of the ecosystem-specific features of the coniferous species under investigation, for instance, their ability to co-exist with deciduous plants in mixed communities, as well as the possibility of long-term preservation of boreal ecosystems on the same territories.

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