Temperature sensitivity of nitrogen productivity for Scots pine and Norway spruce

Environmental conditions control physiological processes in plants and thus their growth. The predicted global warming is expected to accelerate tree growth. However, the growth response is a complex function of several processes with both direct and indirect effects. To analyse this problem we have used needle nitrogen productivity, which is an aggregate parameter for production of new foliage. Data on needle dry matter, production, and nitrogen content in needles of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce ( Picea abies) from a wide range of climatic conditions were collected and needle nitrogen productivities, defined as dry matter production of needles per unit of nitrogen in the needle biomass, were calculated. Our results show that the nitrogen productivity for spruce is insensitive to temperature. However, for pine, temperature affects both the magnitude of nitrogen productivity at low needle biomass and the response to self-shading but the temperature response is small at the high end of needle biomass. For practical applications it may be sufficient to use a species-specific nitrogen productivity that is independent of temperature. Because temperature affects tree growth indirectly as well as through soil processes, the effects of temperature change on tree growth and ecosystem carbon storage should mainly be derived from effects on nitrogen availability through changes in nitrogen mineralization. In addition, this paper summarises data on dry matter, production and nitrogen content of needles of conifers along a temperature gradient.     

Developmental disorders in buds and needles of mature Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) Karst., in relation to needle boron concentrations

Dieback of the terminal shoot and consequently bushy growth induced by boron deficiency have been reported widely throughout the world in several tree species. Recently, similar growth damage was documented in half of the young spruce stands in eastern Finland. To clarify the role of B deficiency, the light microscopic structure of emerging buds and of developing and previous-year needles of mature Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) from damaged (D stand), partly damaged (PD stand) and healthy (H stand) stands were analysed. The samples, on which needle nutrient concentrations were also determined, were taken seven times between early spring (April) and early winter (November). Cell death characterized by precipitation of the cell content, possibly due to the release of tannins after membrane rupture, was seen in the apex of emerging buds, and this led to fatal damage in about half of the buds in the trees from the D stand, where the needle B concentration was well below the deficiency level of 4–5 mg kg⁻¹. Furthermore, an increase in living cells that accumulated tannins in the vacuoles, which is a common stress and/or defense reaction, was found in the primordial shoots of buds and in the differentiating needles in the PD and D stands. The increase in the areas of the central cylinder and of the xylem found in the needles indicate structural plasticity during needle differentiation to drought. The time frame for bud emergence from late May up to mid-September means that an adequate B supply is necessary throughout the summer in order to avoid fatal bud damage and thus bushy growth of the trees.     

Chemodiversity of Nonacosan‐10‐ol and n‐Alkanes in the Needle Wax of Pinus heldreichii

This is the first report of individual variability and population diversity of the contents of nonacosan‐10‐ol and n‐alkanes in the needle cuticular waxes of Bosnian pines originated from Montenegro, regarded as Pinus heldreichii var. leucodermis, and from Serbia, regarded as P. heldreichii var. pan?i?i. The amount of nonacosan‐10‐ol varied individually from 27.4 to 73.2% (55.5% in average), but differences between the four investigated populations were not statistically confirmed. The size of the n‐alkanes ranged from C₁₈ to C₃₃. The most abundant n‐alkanes were C₂₃, C₂₇, and C₂₅ (12.2, 11.2, and 10.8% in average, resp.). The carbon preference index (CPI) of the n‐alkanes ranged from 0.8 to 3.1 (1.6 in average), while the average chain length (ACL) ranged from 20.9 to 26.5 (24.4 in average). Long‐chain and mid‐chain n‐alkanes prevailed (49.6 and 37.9% in average, resp.). It was also found that the populations of P. heldreichii var. leucodermis had predominantly a narrower range of n‐alkanes (C₁₈? C₃₁) than the trees of the variety pan?i?i (C₁₈? C₃₃). Differences between the varieties were also significant for most of the other characteristics of the n‐alkane pattern (e.g., most abundant n‐alkanes, CPI, ACL, and relative proportion of short‐, mid‐, and long‐chain n‐alkanes). The principle component and cluster analyses of eleven n‐alkanes confirmed the significant diversity of these two varieties.     

鼎湖山森林群落不同演替阶段优势种叶生态解剖特征研究

对南亚热带鼎湖山森林群落不同演替阶段8种优势树种进行了叶生态解剖学研究。观察的叶片解剖特征有：叶腹角质膜厚度、栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度、叶背角质膜厚度及叶总厚度等。马尾松（Pinus massoniana)在针叶林群落和针阔叶混交林群落生境中,针阔叶混交林中叶片厚度变小,主脉管胞、树脂道平均直径变小。从针阔叶混交林演替阶段到季风常绿阔叶林演替阶段,锥栗（Castanopsis chinensis)叶片厚度、海绵组织厚度增加,栅栏组织厚度、P／S值（栅栏组织与海绵组织厚度比）减少;荷木（Schima superba)和黄果厚桂（Cryptocarya concinna)叶片厚度、栅栏组织厚度、叶腹及叶背角质膜厚度差异显著;从针阔叶混交林演替阶段到季风常绿阔叶林演替阶段,锥栗、荷木、黄果厚寺叶片厚度和栅栏组织厚度等差异均显著。不同生境下林内气温、相对湿度、光合有效辐射等小气候特征是叶片结构特征差异的主要影响因子,叶片结构差异反映了叶片结构在一定程度上对生境的适应。     

Effect of needle damage on the release rate of Masson pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus massoniana</Emphasis>) volatiles

The effect of needle damage on the release rate of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) volatiles was examined. Needles were continuously damaged by mechanical damage (MDP) or by feeding of pine caterpillar (Dendrolimus punctatus) larvae (LFP); undamaged pine was used as a control (UDP). Volatiles were collected before damage, and at 16, 24, 40, 48, 64, 72, 88 and 96 h post-damage, and analyzed. The analyses revealed that 19 compounds identified as constitutive volatiles from UDP were terpenes and green leaf odors. The release rate of volatiles from MDP or LFP was higher than that from UDP. At 96 h post-damage, emission from MDP or LFP returned to the same level as that of UDP. Some volatiles, including sabinene, ocimene, limonene-1,2-epoxide, linalool, linalool acetate, germacrene d-4-ol, farnesol, and (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene were induced by mechanical damage and/or larval attack. Furthermore, the release rate of linalool acetate, farnesol, or (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene from LFP was higher than that from MDP. Based on an exact estimation of the proportion of damaged pine needles, a significant linear correlation between the release rate of total volatiles identified and the proportion of damaged needles was found in the case of LFP but not MDP.     

Difference in cuticular transpiration and sclerophylly in juvenile and adult pine needles relates to the species-specific rates of development

Pinus species show remarkable ontogenetic differences in needle morphology (heterophylly) between juvenile and adult vegetative phases. This developmental shift may play an adaptative role in their success under diverse habitats. As a first step to know the functional differences between each vegetative phase, we compared water loss through the cuticles of juvenile and adult needles of 21-month-old nursery-grown seedlings of nine hard pine species. Cuticular transpiration (CT), calculated after complete stomatal closure, was obtained by leaf-drying curves, and was related to leaf, ontogenetic and climatic parameters. The rate of cuticular transpiration (RCT) between juvenile and adult needles differed across pine species, and in particular segregated the Mediterranean species Pinus canariensis and P. halepensis, from the Eurasian P. uncinata and introduced species P. radiata. For these species, RCT was always higher in juvenile needles. The different leaf and ontogenic parameters studied were correlated with the variation in RCT among the nine pine species. We discuss this relationship in the light of the species ecology. Besides their possible adaptive interpretation, these results suggest an underlying need to consider the ontogenetic heterophylly when assessing functional traits in hard pine seedlings, in particular those traits that govern water relations.     

鼎湖山异龄马尾松针叶长度序列元素分布

利用植物体元素化学分析结果来诊断环境污染对森林健康影响和监测环境污染程度已成为诸多生态学家和环境学者广为采用的方法之一。该研究选择广东肇庆鼎湖山健康马尾松(Pinus massoniana)前年生针叶和当年生针叶为研究对象, 将相同年龄针叶分为叶尖、叶中、叶基等长3段, 分析了两种针叶全S、全P、K、Mg、Na、Ca、Al、Mn、Zn、Cu、Fe、Pb、Cr、Cd和Ni15种元素及相应Ca/Al值在叶尖、叶中部、叶基部和叶鞘的分布模式。结果表明: 前年生针叶元素平均值除全S、全P、K和Cd外, 其它元素浓度都高于当年生针叶, Ca/Al值则是当年生针叶小于前年生针叶, 表明当年生针叶受Al毒大于前年生针叶; 在针叶长度序列不同部位间, 元素分布不均匀, 全S、Na、Ca、Al和Mn在两种针叶长度序列上没有显著性差异, K、Mg、Zn、Fe、Cr、Cd、Ni和Ca/Al值差异均达显著水平, 而全P、Cu、Cd和Pb仅在前年生针叶不同部位间差异显著; 针叶Al浓度和Ca/Al值都表明马尾松已经处于严重Al毒胁迫下; 两种针叶各部位Fe、Zn和Cu浓度远超出该地区马尾松元素的背景值, 暗示马尾松针叶已受到严重重金属毒害; 马尾松叶鞘Fe、Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Ni和Cr含量显著高于针叶其它部位, 表明叶鞘能累积环境重金属, 可以作为马尾松在污染环境下遭受重金属危害指标加以利用, 是一种有广泛应用前景的生物指示物。该研究所采用的技术和方法对环境监测, 尤其是对利用生物化学方法评价环境污染对森林健康影响评价体系的完善和生物监测指标的利用具有指导意义, 可为今后评估相似环境污染地区森林健康和树木正常生长提供参考。     

黑石顶针阔叶混交林演替过程中群落结构动态

分析了黑石顶针阔叶混交林在１０年演变过程中的群落结构变化。结果表明,群落垂直分层日益明显;群落水平结构指标,盖度、密度、胸高断面积均有较大幅度增加;群落物种组成结构总体上变幅不大,但针叶树马尾松、杉木的优势地位明显衰弱,阔叶树木荷、腺叶山矾、鸭脚木等种的优势地位显著增强,整个群落由针叶阔叶混交林朝着阔叶针叶混交林演变;群落乔木层物种多样性、均匀度在增加,生态优势度在降低,群落向着复杂化、多层化方向     

SEM Observation of the Inner Surface Structure of Needle Cuticles in Pinus

Comparative investigation on the inner surfaces of needle cuticle of Pinus was made for 17 species and two varieties under SEM. It is shown that the differences in protrusions and depressions of the internal cuticle surfaces of needles in the genus are not remarkable. However, the features of intercellular flanges are rather distinct and three types can be distinguished. They are: (1) Subgen. Strobus (Sweet) Rehd (except Sect. Parrya) is of the Pinus koraiensis type; (2) Subgen. Pinus is of the P. tabulaeformis type; (3) Sect. Parrya Mayr of Subgen. Strobus (Sweet) Rehd is of the P. bungeana type. The character may provide taxonomy of the genus Pinus with a new piece of evidence. Based on the features mentioned above, together with many others, such as wood anatomy, warts of wood tracheids, bark structure, needle anatomy and cuticle structure as well as karyotypic analysis in Pinus, the author considers that division of Pinus into two subgeuera is natural and that separation of Sect. Parrya Mayr from Subgen. Strobus (Sweet) Rehd. and thesubsequent establishment of the subgenus Parrya of its own are also reasonable.     

福建省马尾松和杉木针叶中7种营养元素含量特征

为了解福建省马尾松和杉木人工林养分需求特征,选取25个马尾松(Pinus massoniana)林和31个杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)林,测定了针叶中7种主要营养元素(C、N、P、S、K、Ca、Mg)含量。结果表明,马尾松针叶K、Ca、Mg含量显著低于杉木,分别是杉木的68%、14%、50%,表明杉木对矿质养分尤其Ca的需求远高于马尾松,提示马尾松比杉木更能适应矿质养分尤其Ca较贫瘠的立地。两树种针叶C、N、P、S含量及其化学计量比均表现出相似的内稳态特征,而Ca、Mg、K含量及其化学计量比的变异大,表明这3种矿质元素受立地条件的影响较大。两树种对N、P、K需求表现为协同正相关关系,N与Ca含量则为负相关关系,暗示持续N沉降或营林实践中长期施N肥可能抑制Ca的吸收。