THE NITROGEN METABOLISM OF PICEA GLAUCA (MOENCH) VOSS AND PINUS BANKSIANA LAMB. AS INFLUENCED BY MINERAL NUTRITION

1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Durzan ◽  
F. C. Steward

White spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings were grown in sand cultures by Swan (who reported on their growth in 1960) and they were irrigated with full nutrient solution high in sodium, or solutions deficient in each of several nutrients. Responses characteristic of the following six treatments were studied: full nutrient but with low sodium; nitrate or ammonium as the sole source of nitrogen; low nitrogen; low phosphorus; and low potassium. When shoot elongation had ceased, extracts of seedling parts (leaves, stems with buds, and roots) were examined by paper-chromatographic methods for free nitrogenous compounds.In leaves, the relative proportions of nitrogenous compounds in spruce and pine differed from those in the stems and roots. Nutrient deficiency and the form of nitrogen available affected both the total amount and relative composition of the soluble nitrogen. Under better mineral nutrient conditions, arginine accumulated while amide (glutamine) remained low. The accumulation of a number of compounds resulting from nutritional deficiency, for example glutamine, with low potassium, indicated that blocks occurred in metabolic pathways. Ammonium nitrogen was shown to foster arginine and amides (especially in spruce) and to lead to a large increase of free guanidino compounds which hitherto have passed unnoticed. By contrast, in leaves nourished by nitrate as the sole source of nitrogen, guanidino compounds were less prominent. Under the conditions of reduced growth and protein synthesis brought about by specified nutrient deficiencies, many unidentified compounds, which were not known intermediates of the ornithine or urea cycle, appeared.The present study dealt with observations made at one season of the year (late summer) and does not preclude the occurrence of somewhat different responses which might have been observed at other times of the year.

1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 909-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Durzan

Buds, shoot apices, and leaves from terminal shoots of white spruce saplings accumulated high levels of alcohol-soluble nitrogen in spring, late summer, and early winter. Major components, e.g. arginine, glutamine and proline, of the soluble nitrogen showed patterns complementary to each other. These changes represented the storage and mobilization of nitrogenous compounds during the onset of dormancy or the growth of shoots. Leaves contained less total soluble nitrogen than buds or shoot apices. Soluble nitrogen and arginine content of leaves resembled buds in their seasonal patterns but changes in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and alanine were much greater than in buds, especially in late summer.When the first frost appeared, uniformly labelled 14C-arginine, applied to the apices of buds, readily entered newly synthesized protein, and free arginine was converted to proline via ornithine. Proline with carbon derived from arginine also entered proteins that were metabolized at different rates. A fraction of the proline in protein was hydroxylated to hydroxyproline. Although traces of 14C-citrulline were detected, more carbon was metabolized to free guanidino compounds, e.g. α-keto-δ-guanidinovaleric acid, γ-guanidinobutyric acid, and several monosubstituted guanidines. After 24 hours, labelled arginine, proline, and γ-guanidinobutyric acid moved down the shoot to the leaves. These metabolic changes in buds show that many of the seasonal changes in amino acids are intimately related to the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of arginine.


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 921-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Durzan

In late August during the onset of dormancy in spruce, seasonal levels of soluble nitrogen, rich in arginine, were high. On a fresh weight basis, diurnal levels of total soluble nitrogen and most component amino acids in roots, buds, and leaves showed maxima, one at sunrise and another in the afternoon or near sunset.Arginine and glutamine in the different plant parts contributed 44 to 83% to the alcohol-soluble nitrogen. In buds and leaves, percentage of arginine remained high and decreased slightly at midday, whereas in roots a continual drop occurred. In all organs examined, changes in glutamine reflected the double maxima of total soluble nitrogen and were greatest in roots.On a fresh weight basis, most amino acids accumulated at sunrise and near sunset; however a few especially in leaves, increased at midday, e.g. glutamic and aspartic acid, lysine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and serine.Comparison of levels of free guanidino compounds in different organs showed remarkable out-of-phase patterns. Levels of these compounds are known from 14C-arginine studies to be closely related to the metabolism of arginine.


1983 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Varvikko ◽  
J. E. Lindberg ◽  
J. Setälä ◽  
Liisa Syrjälä-Qvist

SUMMARYSoya-bean meal and rapeseed meal treated with 0, 0·4 or 0·8 g formaldehyde/100 g crude protein (N × 6·25) was incubated in the rumen in nylon bags with 10 and 40 μm aperture.Disappearance of dry matter and nitrogenous compounds was reduced with increasing formaldehyde treatment.The proportion of acid-pepsin soluble nitrogen in the undegraded residues of untreated and treated soya-bean meal was similar to the original samples. For rapeseed meal the proportion of acid-pepsin soluble nitrogen in the undegraded residues decreased with increasing rumen incubation time. This reduction decreased with increasing formaldehyde treatment.Concentration of amino acids in the undegraded residues did not generally deviate from those in the original samples. However, a distinguishable decrease in the methionine concentration was observed in all the rapeseed meal samples and in glutamic acid concentration in rapeseed meal treated with 0 and 0·4 g formaldehyde/100g- crude protein.Most of the changes due to rumen incubation were smaller using the 10 μm bags than using the 40 μm bags. However, the bag pore size did not play a decisive role in the conclusions of the results given.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (57) ◽  
pp. 7428-7451
Author(s):  
A Acipa ◽  
◽  
M Kamatenesi-Mugisha ◽  
H Oryem-Origa

Wild food plants play an important role in the diet of inhabitants of Oyam District. Some of these plants are drought -resistant and gathered throughout the year . These wild foods are an important source of nutrients. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data re garding the nutrient content s of these indigenous plants. The purpose of this study was to document and assess the nutrient and mineral content s of the selected food plants. Ethnobotanical surveys were used to collect data through formal and informal inter views and focused group discussions. Voucher specimens were collected during field excursions and taken to Makerere Herbarium for proper identification . Nutrients and mineral analyses of wild and cultivated fruits, seeds, underground organs and vegetables from Ngai and Otwal sub counties were carried out using known procedures. They were analysed for mineral nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus concentrations. Additionally nutrients such proteins, beta carotene, vitamin C and dietary fibre were determined . On average, vegetables were found to be richer in organic nutrients and minerals followed by fruits and seeds in that order . Generally the wild food plant species were found to be richer sources of mineral nutrient than their cultivated relatives. F or example , the highest concentration of calcium 867.59 mg/100g was found in Acalypha bipartita leaves compared to 294.18 mg/100g in Cleome gynandra . Plant species that showed high iron contents [>30% ] were leaves of swamp hibiscus , African spider flowers , fruits of Tamarind , Black night shade and Jews mallow . It was also noted that among the food plant species analysed, fruits were low in nutrients and mineral elements. Some of these food plants were also considered to have medicinal properties by the locals such as African spider flower, Rattle pod among others. However, it should be noted that there is a general decline in the consumption of wild plants , despite the apparent high nutritional values . T he conservation of wild food plants is not taking place among the communities in the study area, thus the poor rural communities who are limited on balancing their diet could be faced with diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies .


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
James E. Altland ◽  
James C. Locke ◽  
Wendy L. Zellner

Steel slag is a byproduct of the steel industry that can be used as a liming agent, but also has a high mineral nutrient content. While micronutrients are present in steel slag, it is not known if the mineral form of the micronutrients would render them available for plant uptake. The objective of this research was to determine if steel slag could be used as the sole micronutrient source for container-grown nursery crops. Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Pink Delight’) and rose (Rosa ‘Radrazz’) were grown in #3 (3 gal) containers in a base substrate composed of pine bark and peatmoss (80:20, by vol). The base substrate was amended with the following treatments: with a complete controlled release fertilizer (CRF) including micronutrients (C-control), a substrate amended with a different CRF containing only N, P, and K along with a granular micronutrient package (M-control), and three additional treatments amended with the CRF (N, P, and K only) and either 1.2, 2.4, or 4.8 kg·m−3 (2, 4, and 8 lb·yd−3) of steel slag. Plants were harvested at 2 and 4 months after potting (MAP). None of the plants displayed any sign of nutrient deficiency or toxicity throughout the experiment. However, plants grown in the substrate amended with the highest slag rate [4.8 kg·m−3 (8 lb·yd−3)] had lower shoot dry weight (SDW) than both control groups. Substrate pH increased with increasing slag rate, which may have affected micronutrient availability in those substrates. Among the micronutrients analyzed, only Copper (Cu) was consistently deficient in both the substrate and foliar tissue of slag-amended treatments. Steel slag either does not provide a sufficient quantity of Cu or the concomitant increase in pH with increasing rates of steel slag renders Cu unavailable for plant uptake. Steel slag should not be used as the sole source of micronutrients for shrubs grown in pine bark-based substrates.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 1116-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongzhou Man ◽  
Pengxin Lu ◽  
Qing-Lai Dang

Conifer winter damage results primarily from loss of cold hardiness during unseasonably warm days in late winter and early spring, and such damage may increase in frequency and severity under a warming climate. In this study, the dehardening dynamics of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) were examined in relation to thermal accumulation during artificial dehardening in winter (December) and spring (March) using relative electrolyte leakage and visual assessment of pine needles and spruce shoots. Results indicated that all four species dehardened at a similar rate and to a similar extent, despite considerably different thermal accumulation requirements. Spring dehardening was comparatively faster, with black spruce slightly hardier than the other conifers at the late stage of spring dehardening. The difference, however, was relatively small and did not afford black spruce significant protection during seedling freezing tests prior to budbreak in late March and early May. The dehardening curves and models developed in this study may serve as a tool to predict cold hardiness by temperature and to understand the potential risks of conifer cold injury during warming–freezing events prior to budbreak.


Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 686 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Quiñonez-Piñón ◽  
Caterina Valeo

The translucence and color change in wood methods, which are commonly used to differentiate sapwood from heartwood in tree cores, are compared against the microscopic analysis of wood anatomy method for determining sapwood depth. The translucence method was tested on collected wood cores of White Spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). The color change in wood method was tested on Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). For every statistical comparison, sapwood depth values obtained with the translucence or color-change methods were significantly different from those obtained using the microscopic analysis. Using the sapwood depth values obtained with microscopy as a reference, the bias associated with the translucence or color-change methods used on Picea glauca, Pinus banksiana and Populus tremuloides constantly under- or overestimated sapwood depths within −0.3 cm to 1.6 cm; −4.9 cm to 0.5 cm; and 0 to 1.8 cm, respectively. The different ranges of over- and underestimation arise from species-specific anatomical characteristics. Estimates for the errors in sapwood depth, when the depth is measured using either the translucence or color-change methods, are presented. These relationships and research outcomes will lead to more efficient forest monitoring and improved estimates of forest water balance, which in turn will lead to improved forest management in the face of climate change.


2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan J. Klos ◽  
G. Geoff Wang ◽  
Qing-Lai Dang ◽  
Ed W. East

Abstract Kozak's variable exponent taper equation was fitted for balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss), black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.), and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) in Manitoba. Stem taper variability between two ecozones (i.e., Boreal Shield and Boreal Plains) were tested using the F-test. Regional differences were observed for trembling aspen, white spruce, and jack pine, and for those species, separate ecozone-specific taper equations were developed. However, the gross total volume estimates using the ecozone-specific equations were different from those of the provincial equations by only 2 percent. Although the regional difference in stem form was marginal within a province, a difference of approximately 7 percent of gross total volume estimation was found when our provincial taper equations were compared with those developed in Alberta and Saskatchewan. These results suggest that stem form variation increases with spatial scale and that a single taper equation for each species may be sufficient for each province.


1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. J. Xiao ◽  
D. W. Anderson ◽  
J. R. Bettany

Pedogenesis and its effect on calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) was studied on a sequence of seven Gray Luvisol soils in central Saskatchewan. The soils were formed on calcareous glacial till under trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx), mixedwood (aspen and white spruce) (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss)) and coniferous (black spruce and jack pine) (Picea mariana (Mill) BSP and Pinus banksiana Lamb) forests. Soils under aspen had the highest concentration of total and exchangeable Ca and Mg in litter layers and Ae horizons, and had Ae and Bt horizons that were least acidic. The most acidic Ae and Bt horizons and lowest amounts of Ca and Mg occurred under coniferous forests, whereas the soils under mixedwood stands were intermediate. The thickness of eluvial (Ae and AB) horizons increased along the aspen to coniferous sequence. All soils had about 40% less P in their A and B horizons than was calculated to have been present at the start of soil formation. The greatest decrease in P was observed in the thickest and most acidic soil under coniferous forest. The present litter layers and vegetation make up only a small proportion of the P removed from the mineral soil. Unusually large amounts of P appear to have been translocated from A and B horizons during development of Gray Luvisols, in comparison to Chernozemic or even Podzolic soils. Our hypothesis proposes that P is ineffectively retained in the solum as P-clay-humus, or iron-P complexes and that organic P moves along with the soil water, laterally and downslope through permeable Ae horizon over less permeable Bt horizons, or vertically through macropores. Key words: Boreal forest, nutrient cycling, phosphorus losses, weathering, soil formation


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1938-1945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isobel Waters ◽  
Steven W Kembel ◽  
Jean-François Gingras ◽  
Jennifer M Shay

This study compares the effects of full-tree versus cut-to-length forest harvesting methods on tree regeneration in jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), mixedwood (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss – Populus tremuloides Michx. – Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) sites in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. We surveyed tree regeneration densities, disturbance characteristics, and understorey vegetation in replicated control and harvested plots in each site type preharvest (1993) and 1 and 3 years postharvest (1994, 1996). In jack pine sites, the full-tree harvest method promoted regeneration of Pinus banksiana through increased disturbance of soil and the moss layer, and decreased slash deposition relative to the cut-to-length method. Conversely, in mixedwood sites the cut-to-length method resulted in less damage to advance regeneration and proved better at promoting postharvest regeneration of Abies balsamea and Picea glauca relative to the full-tree method. In black spruce sites, there were few differences in the impact of the two harvesting methods on regeneration of Picea mariana, which increased in frequency and density after both types of harvesting.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document