Understanding the mechanisms of how environmental factors limit species distribution along environmental gradients is a central question in ecology. This study aimed to understand species acclimation in view of photosynthetic parameters in an arid mountainous region. | Turkish Journal of Botany Turk J Bot (2018) 42: 423-439 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article The effect of photosynthetic parameters on species acclimation in an arid mountainous region of China 1,2 1,2 1,2 1,2 Tianyu GUAN , Jihua ZHOU , Xiaolong ZHANG , Nannan GAO , 1 1,2 1 1 1, Hui DU , Wentao CAI , Lianhe JIANG , Liming LAI , Yuanrun ZHENG * 1 Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, . China 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, . China Received: Accepted/Published Online: Final Version: Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms of how environmental factors limit species distribution along environmental gradients is a central question in ecology. This study aimed to understand species acclimation in view of photosynthetic parameters in an arid mountainous region. We measured some photosynthetic parameters and light and CO2 photosynthesis response curves for all plant communities with seven dominant species in 13 sites along an elevation gradient in the Qilian Mountains in arid northwestern China. The results showed that species in xerothermic environments had low maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax) ( µmol m–2 s–1) and maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax) ( µmol m–2 s–1), high light compensation points ( µmol m–2 s–1) and light saturation points ( µmol m–2 s–1), high dark respiration rates ( µmol m–2 s–1), and high maximum photosynthetic rates (Amax) ( µmol m–2 s–1) compared with species in mesic environments. Photosynthesis parameters did not vary with temperature, precipitation, and altitude in different communities dominated by the same species, Picea crassifolia. However, some photosynthesis parameters varied with temperature, precipitation, and altitude in communities dominated by species other than spruce .
