Abstract

Background: Ecophysiological characteristics of Rosa rugosa were analyzed under different environmental factors from May to October 2022. Photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll content, leaf water content (LWC), osmolality, carbohydrate content, and total ion content were measured to compare the physiological characteristics of R. rugosa at two study sites (i.e., in large pots and in the Goraebul coastal sand dune area). Results: When R. rugosa was exposed to high temperatures, photosynthetic parameters including net photosynthetic rate (PN) and stomatal conductance (gs) in both experiment areas declined. In addition, severe photoinhibition occurs when R. rugosa is continuously exposed to high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and because of this, relatively low Y(II) (i.e., the quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in photosystem II [PSII]) and high Y(NO) (i.e., the quantum yield of non-regulated, non-photochemical energy loss in PSII) in the R. rugosa of the pot were observed. As the high Y(NPQ) (i.e., the quantum yield of regulated non-photochemical energy loss in PSII) of R. rugosa in the coastal sand dune, they dissipated the excessed photon energy through the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) mechanism when they were exposed to relatively low PAR and low temperature. Rosa rugosa in the coastal sand dune has higher chlorophyll a and carotenoid content. The high chlorophyll a + b and low chlorophyll a/b ratios seemed to optimize light absorption in response to low PAR. High carotenoid content played an important role in NPQ. As a part of the osmotic regulation in response to low LWCs, R. rugosa exposed to high temperatures and continuously high PAR used soluble carbohydrates and ions to maintain high osmolality. Conclusions: We found that Fv/Fm was lower in the potted plants than in the coastal sand dune plants, indicating the vulnerability of R. rugosa to high temperatures and PAR levels. We expect that the suitable habitat range for R. rugosa will shrink and move to north under climate change conditions.