High-temperature tolerance of Artemisia tridentata and Potentilla gracilis under a climate change manipulation

Leaf tolerance to high temperatures, as determined by electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll a fluorescence, was compared for Artemisia tridentata (Asteraceae), a widespread shrub of the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and western slope of the Rocky Mountains, and Potentilla gracilis (Rosaceae), a herbaceous forb common to high-elevation meadows of the western United States. Species-specific and treatment-specific differences in leaf temperature, high-temperature tolerance and chlorophyll a fluorescence from photosystem II were compared, to test the hypothesis that plants at ecosystem borders will exhibit species-specific responses to climate change. Measurements were made for plants ex posed to a climate change warming manipulation on a major ecosystem border at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Colorado, United States, in July and Au gust 1995. In July, daily maximal leaf temperatures were significantly higher for P. gracilis than for A. tridentata. Leaf temperatures were slightly lower in August than July for leaves of both species, on control and heated plots, despite the fact that daily maximum air temperatures were not significantly different for the two months. High-temperature tolerance was determined for leaves treated for 1 h at temperatures ranging from 15 degrees C to 65 degrees C. LT(50) was approximately 46 degrees C for both species on control plots, but was 43 degrees C for leaves of both species from heated plots, contrary to the predictions of the hypothesis. No shift in LT(50) (acclimation) was apparent between July and August. Changes in chlorophyll a fluorescence from photosystem II (F-V/F-M) were used to characterize the photosynthetic response to high temperatures. For both A. tridentata and P. gracilis in July, F-V/F-M was about 0.7, but decreased for temperatures above 40 degrees C. The results suggest that plant responses to global warming at ecosystem borders may be influenced by factors other than leaf-level physiological tolerance to elevated temperatures.