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Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Contrasting oxygen dynamics in Limonium narbonense and Sarcocornia fruticosa during partial and complete submergence

Elisa Pellegrini A B C , Dennis Konnerup B , Anders Winkel B , Valentino Casolo A and Ole Pedersen B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Plant Biology Unit, Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Science, University of Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy.

B Freshwater Biological Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

C Corresponding author. Email: elisa.pellegrini87@gmail.com

Functional Plant Biology 44(9) 867-876 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP16369
Submitted: 25 October 2016  Accepted: 5 May 2017   Published: 5 June 2017

Abstract

Terrestrial saltmarsh plants inhabiting flood-prone habitats undergo recurrent and prolonged flooding driven by tidal regimes. In this study, the role of internal plant aeration in contrasting hypoxic/anoxic conditions during submergence was investigated in the two halophytes Limonium narbonense Mill. and Sarcocornia fruticosa (L.) A.J. Scott. Monitoring of tissue O2 dynamics was performed in shoots and roots using microelectrodes under drained conditions, waterlogging, partial and complete submergence, in light or darkness. For both species, submergence in darkness resulted in significant declines in tissue O2 status and when in light, in rapid O2 increases first in shoot tissues and subsequently in roots. During partial submergence, S. fruticosa benefitted from snorkelling and efficiently transported O2 to roots, whereas the O2 concentration in roots of L. narbonense declined by more than 90%. Significantly thinner leaves and articles were recorded under high degree of flooding stress and both species showed considerably high tissue porosity. The presence of aerenchyma seemed to support internal aeration in S. fruticosa whereas O2 diffusion in L. narbonense seemed impeded, despite the higher porosity (up to 50%). Thus, the results obtained for L. narbonense, being well adapted to flooding, suggests that processes other than internal aeration could be involved in better flooding tolerance e.g. fermentative processes, and that traits resulting in flooding tolerance in plants are not yet fully understood.

Additional keywords: aerenchyma, dark respiration, flooding, oxygen diffusion, photosynthesis.


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