Photosynthesis and Respiration of Ferns in Relation to Their Habitat
1974; American Fern Society; Volume: 64; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/1546761
ISSN1938-422X
Autores Tópico(s)Plant Parasitism and Resistance
ResumoThere are at least 500 species of ferns in Malaysia and Singapore, and these plants form a conspicuous part of the local flora. The reason for their abundance lies in the particularly favorable climate of this part of the world. Holttum (1954) has divided the ferns of Malaysia and Singapore into various classes according to the conditions under which they grow: terrestrial sun ferns, terrestrial shade ferns, epiphytes of sheltered places, epiphytes of exposed places, rock and riverbank ferns, aquatic ferns, and mountain ferns. The fact that ferns grow in a great diversity of habitats makes them very interesting plants for physiological and ecological studies. Interest in the physiological studies of ferns has been centered mainly in the growth and development of fern gametophytes (Allsopp & Rao, 1969; Bloom & Nicols, 1972; Miller & Miller, 1961; Raghavan, 1965; Sobota & Partanen, 1966), spore germination (Raghavan, 1971), and the changes accompanying the conversion of aquatic to land forms of Marsilea (Allsopp, 1955; Gaudet, 1963, 1965). More recently, the role of light in the interrelated processes of morphogenesis and photosynthesis of fern gametophytes has also been investigated (Donaher & Partanen, 1971). However, very little work has been done on photosynthesis and respiration of fern fronds, particularly in relation to their adaptations to different habitats.
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