Seasonal phenology, shade reliance, and ecophysiology of wild Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum in Sonoran Desert

• Published in: Journal of arid environments Vol. 201; p. 104736
• Main Authors: Jiménez-Leyva, Alberto, Gutiérrez, Aldo, Ojeda-Contreras, Ángel Javier, Vargas, Georgina, Esqueda, Martín, Orozco-Avitia, Jesús-Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2022
• Subjects: CO2 assimilation; Ecophysiology; Phenology; Semiarid environments; Sonoran desert; CO2 assimilation; Sonoran desert; Ecophysiology; Phenology; Semiarid environments
• ISSN: 0140-1963; 1095-922X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2022.104736

The phenological responses of Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum (Cag) plants were documented, tracking the seasonal climatic trend in the Sonoran Desert. Plants exhibited a relatively fast seasonal phenological transition in synchrony with fast shifts in solar radiation, air temperatures, relative humidity, and rainfalls. Plants developed under significant levels of shade throughout their phenological stages; however, the increase of sunlight penetration and rising air temperatures during the mid-winter period suggests an early photonic/thermal stimulation effect, which could drive the transition between dormancy and budburst. Early buds outbreak can occur in some individuals. First leaves development suggests a strategic phenological/ecophysiological transitional interruption can occur to cope with drought conditions during the spring period. During rainy summer-autumn plants fully grew either vegetative only or vegetative/reproductively. The CO2 assimilation curves in response to light suggest that plants are photosynthetically adapted to photonic flux in the low-intermediate range. Leave's diurnal gas exchange responded differentially under contrasting levels of sunlight, temperatures, and vapor pressure deficit, depending on the plant's phenological stage. Ecosystem-level dataset suggests that duration of air temperature thresholds and significant variation in precipitation peaks during seasons transition could drive subtle timeline shifts between succession/extension of phenological stages and consequently in the forest mass productivity.
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•A relatively fast seasonal phenological transition was recorded.•Significant levels of shade throughout some phenological stages were recorded.•Different gas exchange traits were recorded.•Interannual shifts in forest phenology-productivity.