Role of changing environmental parameters in leaf gas exchange of Arbutus unedo L. assessed by field and laboratory measurements

In the frame of the foreseen climate global changes we analysed the physiological responses of Arbutus unedo L. to the variations of carbon dioxide concentration, leaf temperature, and irradiance by measurements of leaf gas exchange and leaf water potential performed both in field and in the laboratory. Stomatal conductance was not affected by increase of leaf temperature. The growth conditions of potted plants likely made stomata more sensitive to the variation of external parameters than naturally growing plants. The interaction between high CO2 concentration and temperature involved important down-regulation mechanisms in the metabolic pathway of the carbon fixation. From an ecological point of view, the ability of A. unedo to adapt to the field stress makes it highly competitive in the Mediterranean plant community.