Photosynthetic adaptive strategies in evergreen and semi-deciduous species of Mediterranean maquis during winter

In this chapter has been examined the photosynthetic and photochemical behaviour of young and mature leaves of different species of the Mediterranean maquis, grown during the winter, in response to low temperatures. In particular our attention has been focused on the evergreen species Laurus nobilis L., Phillyrea angustifolia L. and Quercus ilex L. and on the semi-deciduous species Cistus incanus L. that are widespread in Southern Italy area. Our specific purposes were: 1) to focus on eco-physiological strategies adopted by the different species to optimize the carbon gain during winter and minimize the photoinhibitory damage risks; 2) to compare the behaviour of young and mature leaves under low winter temperature in order to elucidate if the photoprotective mechanisms may be influenced by the leaf age.