Skip to main content

Carbon-Gaining Capacity and Allocation Patterns of Mediterranean-Climate Plants

  • Conference paper
Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 43))

Abstract

There have been a number of recent reviews on the photosynthetic characteristics and productive structure of mediterranean-climate plants of the world (Mooney 1977, 1981; Mooney et al. 1977; Cody and Mooney 1978; Oechel et al. 1981; Ehleringer and Mooney 1982). Here I will summarize the principal findings of these reviews, adding what limited new data are available. As will become evident, data are particularly lacking from South Africa and Australia. This is unfortunate, since it is from these nutrient-deficient regions that we might expect exceptions from the general trends that are emerging from other mediterranean-climate areas. Hopefully, research in the next few years will provide the data necessary to make a meaningful comparison of the productive characteristics of plants of all the mediterranean-climate regions of the world.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Cody ML, Mooney HA (1978) Convergence versus nonconvergence in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 9: 265–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daubenmire R (1972) Phenology and other characteristics of tropical semideciduous forest in northwestern Costa Rica. Journal of Ecology 60: 147–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Debano LF, Conrad CE (1978) The effects of fire on nutrients in a chaparral ecosystem. Ecology 59: 489–497.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ehleringer J, Mooney HA (1982) Photosynthesis and productivity of desert and mediterranean-climate plants. In: Lange OL (ed) Encyclopedia of plant physiology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. In press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gill AM (1977) Plant traits adaptive to fires in mediterranean land ecosystems. In: Mooney HA, Conrad CE (eds) Symposium on the environmental consequences of fire and fuel management in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. Usda Forest Service General Technical Report WO-3, pp 17–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulmon SL, Chu C (1981) The effects of light and nitrogen on photosynthesis, leaf characteristics, and dry matter allocation in the chaparral shrub, Diplacus aurantiacus. Oecologia 49: 207–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison AT (1971) Temperature-related effects on photosynthesis in Heteromeles arbutifolia M. Roem. PhD Thesis, Stanford University, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison AT, Small E, Mooney HA (1971) Drought relationships and distribution of two mediterranean-climate California plant communities. Ecology 52: 869–875.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keeley JE (1977) Fire-dependent reproductive strategies in Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus. In: In: Mooney HA, Conrad CE (eds) Symposium on the environmental consequences of fire and fuel management in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. Usda Forest Service General Technical Report WO-3, pp 391–396.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kruger F (1977a) A preliminary account of aerial plant biomass in fynbos communities of the mediterranean-type climate zone of the Cape Province. Bothalia 12: 299–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kruger FJ (1977b) Ecology of Cape fynbos in relation to fire. In: Mooney HA, Conrad CE (eds) Symposium on the environmental consequences of fire and fuel management in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. Usda Forest Service General Technical Report WO-3, pp 230–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kruger FJ (1979) Plant ecology. In: Day JE, Siegfried W, Louw E, Jarman M (eds) Fynbos ecology: a preliminary synthesis. South African National Scientific Programmes Report 40, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, pp 88–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kruger FJ (1981) Seasonal growth and flowering rhythms: South African heathlands. In: Specht RL (ed) Ecosystems of the world, vol 9B. Heathlands and related shrublands. Analytical studies. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larcher W (1961) Jahresgang des Assimilations-und Respirationvermögens von O1ea europea L. ssp. sativa Hoff, et Link., Quercus ilex L. und Quercus pubescens Willd. aus dem nördlichen Gardaseegebiet. Planta 56: 575–606.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lossaint P (1973) Soil vegetation relationships in mediterranean ecosystems of southern France. In: Di Castri F, Mooney HA (eds) Mediterranean type ecosystems: origin and structure. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 199–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller PC, Poole D (1979) Patterns of water use by shrubs in southern California. Forest Science 25: 84–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney H (1977) The carbon cycle in mediterranean-climate evergreen scrub communities. In: Mooney HA, Conrad CE (eds) Symposium on the environmental consequences of fire and fuel management in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. Usda Forest Service General Technical Report WO-3, pp 107–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA (1980) Seasonality and gradients in the study of stress adaptation. In: Turner N, Kramer P (eds) Stress physiology of plants. Wiley, New York, pp 279–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA (1981) Primary production in mediterranean-climate regions. In: Di Castri F, Goodall DW, Specht RL (eds) Ecosystems of the world, vol 11. Mediterranean-type shrublands. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 249–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Björkman O, Ehleringer J, Berry J (1976) Photosynthetic capacity of in situ Death Valley plants. Carnegie Institution Year Book 75: 410–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Chu C (1974) Seasonal carbon allocation in Heteromeles arbutifolia, a California evergreen shrub. Oecologia 14: 295–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Ferrar PJ, Slatyer RO (1978) Photosynthetic capacity and carbon allocation patterns in diverse growth forms of Eucalyptus. Oecologia 36: 103–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Gulmon SL (1982) Constraints on leaf structure and function. BioScience 32: 198–206.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Harrison AT, Morrow P (1975) Environmental limitations of photosynthesis on a California evergreen shrub. Oecologia 19: 203–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Kummerow J, Johnson AW, Parsons DJ, Keeley S, Hoffmann A, Hays RI, Giliberto J, Chu C (1977) The producers — their resources and adaptive responses. In: In: Mooney HA (ed) Convergent evolution in Chile and California: mediterranean climate ecosystems. Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, pp 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oechel WC, Lawrence WT (1979) Energy utilization and carbon metabolism in mediterranean scrub vegetation of Chile and California. I. Methods: a transportable cuvette field photosynthesis and data acquisition system and representative results for Ceanothus greggii. Oecologia 39: 321–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oechel WC, Lawrence W (1981) Carbon allocation and utilization. In: Miller PC (ed) Resource use by chaparral and matorral. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 185–235.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Oechel WC, Lawrence WT, Mustafa J, Martinez J (1981) Energy and carbon acquisition. In: Miller PC (ed) Resource use by chaparral and matorral. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 151–183.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rundel DW (1977) Water balance in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. In: Mooney HA, Conrad CE (eds) Symposium on the environmental consequences of fire and fuel management in mediterranean-climate ecosystems. Usda Forest Service General Technical Report WO-3, pp 95–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sampson AW (1944) Plant succession on burned chaparral lands in northern California. University of California Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 685. 144 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlesinger WH, Gill DS (1980) Biomass, production, and changes in the availability of light, water and nutrients during the development of pure stands of the chaparral shrub, Ceanothus megacarpus, after fire. Ecology 61: 781–789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Specht RL (1969) A comparison of the sclerophyllous vegetation characteristic of mediterranean-type climates in France, California, and southern Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 17: 277–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Specht RL, Rayson P, Jackman M (1958) Dark Island heath (Ninety-mile Plain, South Australia). VI. Pyric succession: changes in composition, coverage, dry weight, and mineral nutrient status. Australian Journal of Botany 6: 59–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiens D, Rourke JP (1978) Rodent pollination in southern African Protea spp. Nature 276: 71–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winner WE (1981) The effect of SO2 on photosynthesis and stomatal behaviour of mediterranean-climate shrubs. In: Margaris N, Mooney H (eds) Photosynthesis, primary production and biomass utilization in mediterranean-type ecosystems. Junk, The Hague, pp 91–103.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1983 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Mooney, H.A. (1983). Carbon-Gaining Capacity and Allocation Patterns of Mediterranean-Climate Plants. In: Kruger, F.J., Mitchell, D.T., Jarvis, J.U.M. (eds) Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 43. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68935-2_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68935-2_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-68937-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-68935-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics