You compare the abilities of two species of shrub in the genus Atriplex to acclimate to a range of temperature conditions. One species, Atriplex maritima, is found in shrublands along the northern California coast, where conditions are continuously cool. The other species, A. interior, is found in the Great Basin Desert to the east of the range of A. maritima. Temperatures in the Great Basin Desert vary seasonally, from very cold in winter to extremely hot in summer. In your experiments, you discover that both species acclimate well to a temperature of 20°C, showing equivalent photosynthetic activity. However, when acclimated to a temperature of 45°C, A. interior also performs well, whereas A. maritima exhibits reduced photosynthetic capability. Why?
You compare the abilities of two species of shrub in the genus Atriplex to acclimate to a range
of temperature conditions. One species, Atriplex maritima, is found in shrublands along the
northern California coast, where conditions are continuously cool. The other species, A. interior,
is found in the Great Basin Desert to the east of the range of A. maritima. Temperatures in the
Great Basin Desert vary seasonally, from very cold in winter to extremely hot in summer. In
your experiments, you discover that both species acclimate well to a temperature of 20°C,
showing equivalent photosynthetic activity. However, when acclimated to a temperature of 45°C,
A. interior also performs well, whereas A. maritima exhibits reduced photosynthetic capability.
Why?
Temperature is an important element influencing photosynthetic activity in plants. In general, plants that grow in cold environments can demonstrate photosynthetic activity between 0 and 30 degrees Celsius. Atriplex maritima thrives in somewhat cool circumstances. As a result, their photosynthetic equipment is set to a lower temperature. These plants are typically C3 plants that live in average room temperatures that do not change throughout the year.
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