Acute O < inf> 3 damage on first year coppice sprouts of aspen and maple sprouts in an open-air experiment

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2011

Abstract

We studied the effect of high ozone (O 3) concentration (110-490 nmol mol -1) on regenerating aspen (Populus tremuloides) and maple (Acer saccharum) trees at an open-air O 3 pollution experiment near Rhinelander WI USA. This study is the first of its kind to examine the effects of acute O 3 exposure on aspen and maple sprouts after the parent trees, which were grown under elevated O 3 and/or CO 2 for 12 years, were harvested. Acute O 3 damage was not uniform within the crowns of aspen suckers; it was most severe in the mature, fully expanded photosynthesizing leaves. Young expanding leaves showed no visible signs of acute O 3 damage contrary to expectations. Stomatal conductance played a primary role in the severity of acute O 3 damage as it directly controlled O 3 uptake. Maple sprouts, which had lower stomatal conductance, smaller stomatal aperture, higher stomatal density and larger leaf surface area, were tolerant of acute O 3 exposure. Moreover, elevated CO 2 did not ameliorate the adverse effects of acute O 3 dose on aspen and maple sprouts, in contrast to its ability to counteract the effects of long-term chronic exposure to lower O 3 levels. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Publication Title

Journal of Environmental Monitoring

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