Seasonal Changes in Photosynthetic Characteristics of Ammopiptanthus mongolicus

Seasonal changes in the photosynthetic characteristics of Ammopiptantus mongolicus (Maxim. )Chen f. were studied. When the net photosynthetic rate decreased with the elevation of air temperature, thestomatal conductance and stomatal limitation value tended to decline simultaneously, while the interoellularCO2 concentration was increased. According to the two criteria discriminating the stomatal limitation of Photosynthesis suggeSted by Fmrquhar and Sharkey, the seasonal changes in these parameters indicated that the decrease in Pn may not be due to stomatal factor. These studies proved that the relative contents of the large subunit of Rubisco and the photochemical activities correlated with the seasonal changes in the net photosyntheticrate, whieh may show that these two factors contribute primarily to the seasonal changeS in CO2 assimilation.