Photosynthetic ecophysiological characteristics of Lithocarpus harlandii in Tiantai Mountain of Zhejiang Province,China.

The photosynthetic ecophysiological characteristics of Lithocarpus harlandii at the three habitats,i.e,canopy gap,forest edge and understory,was studied.In clear days,the curves of diurnal variations of net photosynthetic rates (P n) of L.harlandii had two peaks at canopy gap and forest edge in Jun.,Aug. or Nov.,while the curves had one peak in Feb.In Aug,L.harlandii had the highest P n in a year because of mature leaves,high chlorophyll contents,strong nitrate reductase activity,superior water and heat environment,and strong light.L.harlandii had the lowest light compensation points (LCPs) and the highest light saturation points (LSPs) in Aug. than in other months.L.harlandii had lower LCPs,higher LSPs,and wider ecological ranges of photo-adaptability. The higher P n of L. harlandii than its accompanying species indicated that higher photosynthetic capacity mad it in a favourable position to get dominating status for occupying the community space.