The neutralisation of acid rain by the leaves of four boreal forest species

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 1877-1882 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Gaber ◽  
T. C. Hutchinson

A field study was carried out in the boreal forest of Ontario to measure the neutralisation response of the leaves of Cornus canadensis, Aralia nudicaulis, Maianthemum canadense, and Acer spicatum to simulated acid rain. Plots of each species were sprayed with pH 5.6, 3.8, or 3.2 rain, and the pH of the raindrops on the leaves and on Parafilm (control) was measured with a microelectrode at 15-min intervals until the leaves dried. Species differed in their ability to neutralise the rain, with C. canadensis consistently neutralising acidic raindrops the most. The neutralisation response varied greatly between pH treatments, with greatest neutralisation occurring at the most acidic pH treatment. Raindrop neutralisation primarily took place within the first few minutes following the spray. For this reason, the dissolution of basic particulates on the leaf surface was probably responsible for the rapid changes in raindrop pH, while slower changes may reflect cation exchange processes with the cell walls. Weather conditions determined the rate of evaporation of the raindrops, and this affected their acidity. High rates of evaporation reduced the time available for leaf surface – raindrop interactions and are probably responsible for the acidification observed in some plots.


1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 2445-2451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte A. Gaber ◽  
Thomas C. Hutchinson

Simulated raindrops of pH 5.6 or 3.2 were sprayed on four boreal forest plant species in situ, and raindrops were subsequently collected from their leaves for chemical analysis. The purpose was to understand better the changes involved in foliar neutralisation of acidic raindrops. The species used were Cornus canadensis, Aralia nudicaulis, Maianthemum canadense, and Acer spicatum. Samples were analysed for Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], Cl−, and F−, as well as pH. Changes in leaf raindrop ion concentrations were greater when sprayed with the pH 3.2 than with the pH 5.6 rain. Both increases and decreases in ion concentration were found, indicating leaching and (or) dissolution of particulates on the leaf or retention by the canopy, respectively. Rapid changes in ion concentrations suggest surface deposits play an important role in leaf raindrop neutralisation. Increases in [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] in raindrops with greater neutralisation are evidence that cation exchange may also be occurring (r2 = 0.170 and 0.321, respectively, at pH 3.2; p < 0.01). There were significant negative correlations between changes in [H+] and changes in[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] (r2 = 0.562, 0.525, and 0.297, respectively, at pH 3.2;p < 0.01). Most of the other ions measured also showed significant correlations with changes in [H+], but generally the correlation could account for only a small percentage of the observed results (low r2). Dry deposition was also measured.



1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 2047-2056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaius Helenurm ◽  
Spencer C. H. Barrett

The flowering and fruiting phenologies of 12 boreal forest herbs were recorded during 1979 (flowering and fruiting) and 1980 (flowering only) in spruce–fir forests of central New Brunswick. The species studied were Aralia nudicaulis, Chimaphila umbellata, Clintonia borealis, Cornus canadensis, Cypripedium acaule, Linnaea borealis, Maianthemum canadense, Medeola virginiana, Oxalis montana, Pyrola secunda, Trientalis borealis, and Trillium undulatum. Flowering in the community occurred from mid-May to the end of July. The order of flowering was maintained in the 2 years, but the degree of synchronization of inflorescences differed in several species. Fruiting in the community began in mid-July and extended beyond the end of September. The percentage of buds that ultimately bore fruit ranged from 0 (Cypripedium acaule) to 61% (Aralia nudicaulis). With the exception of Cypripedium acaule, which received little pollinator service, the self-incompatible species, Cornus canadensis, Maianthemum canadense, and Medeola virginiana, experienced the lowest levels of fruit-set. Pollen limitation and predation of developing fruit appear to be the major factors limiting percentage fruit-set in boreal forest herbs. Fruit production varied with time of flowering of inflorescences in several species, with periods of low fruit-set tending to coincide with lower densities of flowering inflorescences. Significant rates of fruit removal by herbivores occurred in all sarocochorous species. Disappearance of fruits from infructescences ranged from 31 (Medeola virginiana) to 95% (Aralia nudicaulis), with highest removal rates occurring during periods of greatest fruit availability.



1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 2036-2046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer C. H. Barrett ◽  
Kaius Helenurm

Detailed observations and experimental studies of the reproductive biology of 12 boreal forest herbs were conducted over a 3-year period (1978–1980) in spruce–fir forests of central New Brunswick. The species examined were Aralia nudicaulis, Chimaphila umbellata, Clintonia borealis, Cornus canadensis, Cypripedium acaule, Linnaea borealis, Maianthemum canadense, Medeola virginiana, Oxalis montana, Pyrola secunda, Trientalis borealis, and Trillium undulatum. All taxa are insectpollinated perennials and most exhibit clonal growth. Floral syndromes of the understory community are relatively unspecialized with many species possessing small white or green flowers. A total of 103 taxa of insects were collected from flowers during the 1979 season. Bombus spp. are the major pollinators of 5 of the 12 species. Syrphid flies, bee flies, and halictid and andrenid bees were also commonly observed. Controlled pollinations were undertaken to determine the breeding systems of herbs. Bagged, self-, cross- and open-pollinated treatments were used to investigate the capacity for self-pollination, compatibility status, and factors influencing fecundity in each species. A diversity of reproductive systems was revealed. Six species are completely dependent on insects for pollination, four species are weakly autogamous, one is strongly autogamous, and one appears to be apomictic. Comparisons of fruit-set and seed set from controlled self- and cross-pollinations indicate that four species are strongly self-compatible, one is dioecious, and the remainder display varying degrees of self-incompatibility. Despite this variation, outbreeding appears to be the most common reproductive mode. In several species there is evidence that low pollinator service limits fruit-set.



2017 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 274-280
Author(s):  
A. D. Potemkin ◽  
Yu. S. Mamontov ◽  
N. S. Gamova

Study of selected specimens of Gymnomitrion collected by D. G. Long in Yunnan, China, revealed a new species, G. fissum Mamontov et Potemkin, sp. nov., with a fissured leaf surface. Comparison of SEM images of the leaf surface and leaf cross sections shows that the leaf surface of G. fissum is different from that of other known species with a superficially similar leaf surface, i. e. Mylia taylorii, M. verrucosa s. l. and Trabacellula tumidula. It has fissures around the cell lumen rather than grids and perforations. Outer cell walls of Gymnomitrion fissum are much thicker than in Mylia taylorii, M. verrucosa s. l. and Trabacellula tumidula, and their outer layers tend to be partly or completely caducous. G. fissum is related to the group of species assigned to the former genus Apomarsupella.



1986 ◽  
Vol 31 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 409-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. C. Hutchinson ◽  
M. Dixon ◽  
M. Scott


2020 ◽  
Vol 116 ◽  
pp. 106526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Carvalho Andrade ◽  
Letícia Nalon Castro ◽  
Luzimar Campos da Silva


1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1746-1755 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.P.S. Larsen ◽  
G.M. MacDonald

Ring-width chronologies from three white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) and two jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) sites in the boreal forest of northern Alberta were constructed to determine whether they could provide proxy records of monthly weather, summer fire weather, and the annual area burned by wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park. All but one of the standard and residual chronologies exhibited significant positive correlations with June precipitation in the growth year, and all but three of the chronologies exhibited positive correlations with precipitation in June, July, or August of the previous year. Three of the residual chronologies also exhibited negative correlations with June temperature in the growth year. Four of the standard and residual chronologies exhibited significant correlations with the Seasonal Severity Rating fire weather variable from Fort Smith, N.W.T. Four of the standard chronologies and three of the residual chronologies exhibited significant correlations with the annual area burned in Wood Buffalo National Park. Significant correlations were also found for some of the standard and residual chronologies with fire weather and annual area burned in the previous year. These results suggest that ring widths and annual area burned in this portion of the boreal forest are sensitive to similar weather conditions. Tree-ring records may therefore provide a useful means of examining decadal to centennial length relations between climate and annual area burned in the boreal forest.



2016 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Araujo ◽  
Rayane Silva Paschoalino ◽  
Fabrício Ávila Rodrigues

This study investigated the effect of silicon (Si) on the potentiation of rice resistance against leaf scald at the microscopic level. Rice plants (‘Primavera’) were grown in a nutrient solution containing 0 (−Si) or 2 mM (+Si) Si. The foliar Si concentration of the +Si plants (3.6 dag/kg) increased in comparison with the −Si plants (0.3 dag/kg). An X-ray microanalysis revealed that the leaf tissue of +Si plants infected with Microdochium oryzae had higher peaks and deposition of insoluble Si than that of −Si plants. The high foliar Si concentration for the +Si plants reduced the expansion of leaf scald lesions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that fungal hyphae and appressorium-like structures of M. oryzae were more abundant in the leaf surface of −Si plants relative to +Si plants. At both histopathological and ultrastructural levels, fungal hyphae grew abundantly into the leaf tissue of −Si plants. By contrast, rice cell walls were rarely degraded and fungal hyphae were often surrounded by amorphous granular material in the leaf tissue of +Si plants. Conidiophores emerged from stomata 36 h after fungal penetration, and conidia were noticed inside the leaf tissue of the −Si plants in great abundance. The collective results of the present study showed a high concentration and deposition of Si and a considerable deposition of phenolic-like compounds in the leaf tissue of +Si plants. These results indicate that the potentiation of the phenylpropanoid pathway in these plants supplied with Si was favorable for the increase in rice resistance to leaf scald.



1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 452-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marguerite A. Flinn ◽  
Joan K. Pringle

Rhizomes of eight understory species: Gaultheria procumbens, Maianthemum canadense, Vaccinium angustifolium, Cornus canadensis, Pteridium aquilinum, Kalmia angustifolia, Chamaedaphne calyculata, and Rhododendron canadense were subjected to treatments of 45, 50, 55 and 60 °C for 5 min in a water bath. Selection of these species for study was based on differences in the depth of the rhizomes, in habitat, and in rhizome morphology. Samples were collected from study sites located near Halifax, in the Nova Scotia Acadian Forest region.Maximum shoot growth occurred at different temperatures for the various species: 45 °C for Cornus canadensis; 50 °C for Chamaedaphne calyculata, R. canadense, and V. angustifolium; 55 °C for G. procumbens and M. canadense. Death occurred at or below 60 °C for most species. For comparative purposes, a temperature tolerance index (TTI) was calculated for each species. The TTI indicated that R. canadense and V. angustifolium showed the greatest tolerance to higher temperatures and that K. angustifolia and P. aquilinum showed the least tolerance. Mean shoot number increased significantly following spring treatments for all species except for Cornus canadensis which showed greater increase following autumn treatments.



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