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Imbalance of water potential and photosynthetic efficiency in the parasitic relationship between Struthanthus flexicaulis and Baccharis dracunculifolia

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Abstract

Hemiparasitic plants can reduce photosynthesis and alter the host plant’s foliar traits. This relationship may be more intense in ecosystems with nutritionally poor soil, such as the campo rupestre, known for its high endemism. This work evaluated the impact of a generalist hemiparasitic species (Struthanthus flexicaulis) on the physiology as well as physical and chemical traits of a native species (Baccharis dracunculifolia) frequently found in the campo rupestre. We planted twenty 60-day-old B. dracunculifolia individuals in a campo rupestre area. Two year after planting, during the 2019 dry season, we evaluated the water potential (Ψw), photosynthetic efficiency (PE), specific leaf area (SLA) and succulence (SU) of parasitized and non-parasitized host plants. These parameters were measured again in the dry season of 2020, when we also measured chlorophyll, nitrogen balance index (NBI) and phenolic content of leaves of the same individuals. Parasitized individuals had a higher Ψw and PE compared to non-parasitized individuals during the most critical period of the day (12:00 pm to 3:00 pm). However, towards the end of the day, parasitized individuals had lower Ψw and PE than non-parasitized ones. There was no effect of parasitism on SLA and SU. Parasitized plants had higher NBI and lower phenolic content than non-parasitized plants. We concluded that S. flexicaulis parasitism interfered in the physiology and chemical leaf traits of B. dracunculifolia. Parasitism, while momentarily increasing the PE and Ψw of parasitized individuals, can cause physiological imbalances, which could negatively affect the development and lead to the death of the host plant over time.

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Acknowledgments

We thank and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for funding this Long-Term Ecological Research (PELD-CRSC-17 – 441515/ 2016-9) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais – Fapemig (PELD-APQ-04814-17). We thank the Reserva Vellozia, Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, Pousada Serra Morena, Pouso Pedra do Elefante, Planta Ltda, and Industria Textil Cedro for the logistic. We also thank Daniel Vasconcellos for the language revision and Antonio J. R Cruz for the photographs. This study is in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Doctor in Ecology, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). CAPES provided scholarships to GFM, MB and SN. CNPq provided scholarships to YA, GWF, MGCF and DB, and FAPEMIG provided a scholarship to YO.

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  1. Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade / DGEE, ICB / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, MG, Belo Horizonte, 30270-901, Brazil

    Graziella F. Monteiro, Milton Barbosa, Yumi Oki & G. Wilson Fernandes

  2. Laboratório de Fisiologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, MG, Belo Horizonte, 30270-971, Brazil

    Daniela Boanares & Marcel G. C. França

  3. Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Instituto de Ecología A. C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, México

    Samuel Novais

  4. Laboratório de Biodiversidade – DEBIO, ICEB, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, MG, Ouro Preto, 35400-000, Brazil

    Yasmine Antonini

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  1. Graziella F. Monteiro
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Monteiro, G.F., Boanares, D., Novais, S. et al. Imbalance of water potential and photosynthetic efficiency in the parasitic relationship between Struthanthus flexicaulis and Baccharis dracunculifolia. Folia Geobot 57, 71–82 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-022-09410-5

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