Abstract
The accumulation of crystal calcium oxalate (CaOx) in plants is linked to a type of stress-induced photosynthesis termed ‘alarm photosynthesis’, serving as a carbon reservoir when carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange is constrained. Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica, which thrives in high-altitude Andean regions. Growing under common garden conditions, C. quitensis from different latitudinal provenances display significant variations in CaOx crystal accumulation. This raises the following questions: are these differences maintained under natural conditions? And is the CaOx accumulation related to mesophyll conductance (gm) and net photosynthesis (AN) performed in situ? It is hypothesized that in provenances with lower gm, C. quitensis will exhibit an increase in the use of CaOx crystals, resulting in reduced crystal leaf abundance. Plants from Central Chile (33°), Patagonia (51°), and Antarctica (62°) were measured in situ and sampled to determine gas exchange and CaOx crystal accumulation, respectively. Both AN and gm decrease towards higher latitudes, correlating with increases in leaf mass area and leaf density. The crystal accumulation decreases at higher latitudes, correlating positively with AN and gm. Thus, in provenances where environmental conditions induce more xeric traits, the CO2 availability for photosynthesis decreases, making the activation of alarm photosynthesis feasible as an internal source of CO2.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Net photosynthesis decreases toward higher latitudes in C. quitensis.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensis
Colobanthus quitensise1 - Outcome
- ANe0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Setting
- higher latitudese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AN and gm decrease towards higher latitudes, correlating with increases in leaf mass area and leaf density.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”
Claim · model-written summary
Mesophyll conductance decreases toward higher latitudes in C. quitensis.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensisColobanthus quitensise1
- Outcome
- gme0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Setting
- higher latitudese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AN and gm decrease towards higher latitudes, correlating with increases in leaf mass area and leaf density.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf mass area increases as photosynthesis and mesophyll conductance decline toward higher latitudes.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensisColobanthus quitensise1
- Outcome
- leaf mass areae0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Setting
- higher latitudese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AN and gm decrease towards higher latitudes, correlating with increases in leaf mass area and leaf density.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf density increases as photosynthesis and mesophyll conductance decline toward higher latitudes.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensisColobanthus quitensise1
- Outcome
- leaf densitye0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Setting
- higher latitudese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AN and gm decrease towards higher latitudes, correlating with increases in leaf mass area and leaf density.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”
Claim · model-written summary
Calcium oxalate crystal accumulation decreases at higher latitudes.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensisColobanthus quitensise1
- Outcome
- crystal accumulatione0
- Direction
- decreasese0
- Setting
- higher latitudese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The crystal accumulation decreases at higher latitudes, correlating positively with AN and gm.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”
Claim · model-written summary
Calcium oxalate crystal accumulation correlates positively with net photosynthesis.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensisColobanthus quitensise1
- Outcome
- crystal accumulatione0
- Direction
- positivelye0
- Qualifier
- ANe0
- Setting
- higher latitudese0
Not reportedOrgan / stage
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The crystal accumulation decreases at higher latitudes, correlating positively with AN and gm.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”
Claim · model-written summary
Calcium oxalate crystal accumulation correlates positively with mesophyll conductance.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensisColobanthus quitensise1
- Outcome
- crystal accumulatione0
- Direction
- positivelye0
- Setting
- higher latitudese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The crystal accumulation decreases at higher latitudes, correlating positively with AN and gm.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose that xeric traits can reduce CO2 availability and make alarm photosynthesis feasible.
- Taxon
- Colobanthus quitensisColobanthus quitensise1
- Outcome
- CO2 availability for photosynthesise0
- Direction
- decreasese0
- Qualifier
- more xeric traitse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in provenances where environmental conditions induce more xeric traits, the CO2 availability for photosynthesis decreases, making the activation of alarm photosynthesis feasible as an internal source of CO2.”
e1“Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica”