Ndhlovu N T, Khuzwayo T N, Minibayeva F V, Beckett R P
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Federal Research Center 'Kazan Scientific Center of RAS', P.O. Box 261, Kazan 420111, Russia.
Photosynthetica. 2025 Mar 14;63(1):64-72. doi: 10.32615/ps.2025.005. eCollection 2025.
Afromontane forests are an important part of the KwaZulu Natal region of southern Africa, having a distinctive flora with a high proportion of endemic species, and lichens are keystone members. Unlike other continental areas, KwaZulu Natal climate change is predicted to increase rainfall and cloudiness. In the present study, hydrated Afromontane lichens from both exposed and shaded microhabitats were given either constant [100 µmol(photon) m s] or fluctuating [0, 200, 0 µmol(photon) m s] light for 8 h a day for 3 d and changes monitored in nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) and rates of photosynthetic electron transport. In sun but not shade collections, NPQ strongly increased following treatment with constant and fluctuating light. It seems likely that CO fixation may be reduced in moist thalli, and the increase in NPQ may reduce ROS formation during exposure to light while hydrated. Sun lichens can readily modify their NPQ in response to increased cloudiness and rainfall expected in KwaZulu Natal.
阿非利加山地森林是非洲南部夸祖鲁-纳塔尔地区的重要组成部分，拥有独特的植物群，其中特有物种比例很高，地衣是关键成员。与其他大陆地区不同，预计夸祖鲁-纳塔尔的气候变化将增加降雨量和云量。在本研究中，将来自暴露和阴凉微生境的含水阿非利加山地地衣每天给予8小时的恒定[100 μmol（光子）m² s⁻¹]或波动[0、200、0 μmol（光子）m² s⁻¹]光照，持续3天，并监测非光化学猝灭（NPQ）和光合电子传递速率的变化。在阳光照射而非阴凉处采集的地衣中，恒定光照和波动光照处理后NPQ显著增加。湿润的地衣体中CO₂固定可能会减少，NPQ的增加可能会减少水合状态下光照期间ROS的形成。阳光照射下的地衣能够根据夸祖鲁-纳塔尔预期增加的云量和降雨量轻易调节其NPQ。
