Fatty acids,starch and biomass of Scots pine needles and roots in open-air ozone exposure

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings were fumigated with 1.2–1.5 x ambient ozone (cumulative exposure) over 2 seasons in an open-air experiment. Starch and fatty acid concentrations were analyzed in needle and root tissue in the summer, autumn and early winter. Seedling growth was determined by measuring the height of the stem and the total shoot and root biomass. Significant decreases in growth were found in exposed seedlings, even though visible symptoms were lacking. Almost significant reductions in needle and root starch concentrations were found. In the ozone treated foliage, significant increases in myristic acid (140) were detected, but the major fatty acids remained unchanged. Fatty acid ratios showed that the degree of unsaturation decreased in treated needles in the summer. In the roots of ozone treated seedlings, changes in fatty acids were different from those in the foliage. Decreases of the main root fatty acids (160, 180, 181, 18:2, 183) were detected in the summer. These results show that Scots pine is susceptible to enhanced levels of ozone. If the tropospheric ozone levels continue to increase it may have deleterious effects on Scots pine forests in Finland.     

Short-term effects of manipulated increase in acid deposition on soil, soil solution chemistry and fine roots in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stand on a podzol

A manipulated increase in acid deposition (15 kg S ha⁻¹), carried out for three months in a mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stand on a podzol, acidified the soil and raised dissolved Al at concentrations above the critical level of 5 mg l⁻¹ previously determined in a controlled experiment with Scots pine seedlings. The induced soil acidification reduced tree fine root density and biomass significantly in the top 15 cm of soil in the field. The results suggested that the reduction in fine root growth was a response not simply to high Al in solution but to the depletion of exchangeable Ca and Mg in the organic layer, K deficiency, the increase in NH₄:NO₃ ratio in solution and the high proton input to the soil by the acid manipulation. The results from this study could not justify the hypothesis of Al-induced root damage under field conditions, at least not in the short term. However, the study suggests that a short exposure to soil acidity may affect the fine root growth of mature Scots pine.     

Response of understorey vegetation and Scots pine root systems to fertilization at multiple deficiency stress

The stump and root systems of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and field-layer vegetation were sampled before and three growing seasons after drainage and fertilization of a low-shrub pine bog in SE Norway. Although the understorey vegetation roots responded significantly to nutrient application with higher concentrations of Ca and P, root biomass weights did not change. The fine and small pine roots responded with higher N, Ca, P and S concentrations, while those of Mn and Zn were significantly reduced. The NPK-application resulted in significantly higher pine root biomass. Relative to the total stores in the root zone the amounts of most elements in roots shifted to higher ratios at NPK-application. High figures for K, B and Mn indicate tight biochemical cycles of these elements. Compared to totals in above and below ground biomass, major parts of Fe and Pb were held by the roots. In contrast the field layer roots kept a very small per cent of total K, while the pine roots were low in Mn. The understorey vegetation was primarily restricted by P-deficiency, while the pine trees were also restricted by low supply of N. The field and the tree layer species seem to differ with respect to required nutrient concentrations in the root zone. These characteristics are important for direction and extent of successional changes after fertilization in low-shrub pine bog ecosystems.     

Chronic environmental pollution alters adenylate levels in needles and fine roots of Scots pine

Contents of ATP, ADP, AMP, inorganic phosphate, and values of ATP/ADP ratio, adenylate energy charge (AEC), phosphorylation potential (PP) and adenylate kinase activity were analysed in needles and fine roots of Scots pine trees grown at the polluted and control (free of acute air pollution) site. Also chemical properties of the soil and mineral elements in needles from both sites were analysed. In comparison with the control, developing needles from the polluted site contained less ATP, the same amount of ADP and more AMP, and had lower values of ATP/ADP, AEC and PP. In one-year-old needles from the polluted site no change or a decrease in ATP was recorded, while ADP decreased, AMP increased, AEC did not change, and ATP/ADP ratio and PP were higher. In fine roots from the polluted site AMP level was higher, while ATP, ADP, ATP/ADP ratio, PP and AEC were lower than in the control.     

Morphology,biomass and nutrient status of fine roots of Scots pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus sylvestris</Emphasis>) as influenced by seasonal fluctuations in soil moisture and soil solution chemistry

A field monitoring study was carried out to follow the changes of fine root morphology, biomass and nutrient status in relation to seasonal changes in soil solution chemistry and moisture regime in a mature Scots pine stand on acid soil. Seasonal and yearly fluctuations in soil moisture and soil solution chemistry have been observed. Changes in soil moisture accounted for some of the changes in the soil solution chemistry. The results showed that when natural acidification in the soil occurs with low pH (3.5–4.2) and high aluminium concentration in the soil solution (>3–10 mg l^–1), fine root longevity and distribution could be affected. However, fine root growth of Scots pine may not be negatively influenced by adverse soil chemical conditions if soil moisture is not a limiting factor for root growth. In contrast, dry soil conditions increase Scots pine susceptibility to soil acidification and this could significantly reduce fine root growth and increase root mortality. It is therefore important to study seasonal fluctuations of the environmental variables when investigating and modelling cause-effect relationships.     

Long-term needle litterfall of a Scots pine Pinus sylvestris stand: relation to temperature factors

Summary Needle litterfall of a Scots pine was caught over 24 years (1962–1986) with litter-traps in a Scots pine stand in southeastern Finland. The age of the trees averaged 111 years in 1962. The stand was naturally recruited and only minor silvicultural treatments occurred during its history. Litterfall showed great year-to-year variation, the minimum being 18 g/m² (in 1968) and maximum 213 g/m² (in 1973). There was no overall trend in the amount of litterfall, and the age of the stand was thus not important in determining the needle fall. We used time domain time series analysis (ARIMA) and standard climatic data (temperature, precipitation) to investigate the relationship of litterfall to climatic factors. Mean July temperature was clearly correlated with needle litterfall. High temperature in July coincided with enhanced litterfall in the same and the next year. Litterfall enhanced litterfall in the same and the next year. Litterfall increased also after high temperatures during March–April, but only in the same year. In addition to these the litterfall had a 4-year self-dependency. This is approximately the same as the mean longevity of needles in the study area. Altogether the time series model we propose covers about 90% of the variance of the original time series.     

Freeze-preservation of buds from Scots pine trees

A procedure has been developed for freeze-preservation of buds of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Instead of liquid nitrogen, cold storage in –80°C was used. The partly dormant material used in the experiments was obtained directly from a natural stand in Northern Finland and no prefreezing or cryoprotectants for preconditioning were used. Cooling velocity was 1°C/min up to a terminal freezing temperature of –39°C, after which the buds were immersed in liquid nitrogen at –196°C for 10 minutes. The material was then transferred to a deepfreezer at –80°C and stored up to 6 months. After rapid thawing, the buds were sterilized and their viability was tested by FDA staining and by culturing meristems on 1/2 MS medium for at least two weeks. All the freezing experiments were performed during March and April. The best survival of buds (90–100%) was achieved at the beginning of April, after which a pronounced decline in survival occurred obviously due to a rise in the water content of the buds.     

Uptake of a microbially-produced vitamin (B12) by soybean roots

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) is one of the vitamins believed to be produced exclusively by microorganisms. Although soil is a rich source of vitamin B12, systematic study as to possible uptake of this vitamin by the plant roots is lacking. This study was undertaken to investigate, under water culture conditions, the uptake of [⁵⁷Co]-cyanocobalamin by soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). In the range of 10 to 3200 mol L^–1, uptake of vitamin B12 was a linear function of the vitamin concentration in the nutrient solution. Depending on the vitamin concentration, 12 to 34% of the total absorbed vitamin was transported to the plant shoots, with proportionally more vitamin B12 transported at higher vitamin concentrations. Aeration of the rooting medium with nitrogen gas significantly increased the total uptake and the percentage of vitamin transported to the shoots. Addition of respiration inhibitor dinitrophenol to the nutrient solution did not affect the total uptake or the partitioning of the vitamin. Root temperature (5–30°C) did not affect the total uptake but significantly altered the partitioning of the vitamin between the roots and the shoots. Foliar-applied vitamin B12 was not translocated to any considerable degree to other plant parts, indicating that phloem transport does not contribute to the distribution of this vitamin within the plant. It is suggested that adding manure (which is rich in this vitamin) to the soil could increase soil and thus plant content of vitamin B12. This could be of importance in raising the intake of this vitamin by people living by choice or necessity on vegetarian diets who are usually threatened by vitamin B12 deficiency.     

Lateral root formation in pine seedlings

The role of assimilates in lateral root development was studied in Pinus pinea seedlings grown in a nutrient solution. Seedlings were treated with ¹⁴CO₂ for 2 h following removal of the tap root tip at various times prior to the application of ¹⁴CO₂ or removal of a different number of cotyledons at one time. In seedlings with intact root systems most of the radioactivity accumulated in the lower section of the root containing the tap root apex. When the tap root tip was removed, the pattern of radioactivity accumulation along the root was affected by the presence and the stage of lateral root development. Removing the tap root tip of young seedlings (with no lateral roots) resulted in an almost equal distribution of radioactivity along the root. About 50% of the total radioactivity was found in the section showing the highest lateral root growth. Removing the tap root tip of mature seedlings (with lateral roots in the upper section) resulted in an immediate increase in the radioactivity accumulation in the upper section. When lateral roots appeared in the middle section, the pattern of radioactivity distribution was similar to that found in root decapitated young seedlings. Removal of cotyledons of mature seedlings somewhat increased the transport of radioactivity to the lower root section at the expense of the radioactivity in the lateral roots of the upper section. The present study suggests that competition within the root system between the tap root apex and the lateral roots may play an important role in determining the morphology of the root system.     

The effects of toxic metals,content of nutrients and inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi on the level of phenolics in roots and growth of Scots pine seedlings

The effects of two substrates and several strains of mycorrhizal fungi on the content of soluble phenolics in roots and growth of Scots pine seedlings was investigated. The first substrate was fertile and contaminated with copper, zinc and lead, whereas the second one displayed nutrient deficiency. The dry weights of needles, trunks, roots and the total biomass were higher in groups of seedlings inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi on fertile and polluted substrate. Inoculation of pine seedlings on this substrate resulted in a decrease in concentration of phenolics in roots and except for seedlings inoculated with Laccaria laccata negatively influenced the above-ground part: root ratio.     

Recovery from winter depression of photosynthesis in pine and spruce

Summary Recovery from winter depression of photosynthesis was studied in Pinus sylvestris, Pinus conforta and Picea abies by means of chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange measurements. During the winter 1986–1987 the fluorescence yield was low and no variable fluorescence was detectable before the end of March. In the field recovery of variable fluorescence/maximum fluorescence (F_v/F_m) during spring was slow for all three species studied. The temperature dependence of recovery was confirmed from measurements of the potential rate of recovery of F_v/F_m at different temperatures in the laboratory. At 20° C, F_v/F_m increased from 0.1 to 0.8 within 3 days. Recovery of F_v/F_m was paralleled by an increase in apparent photon yield. No significant differences could be demonstrated between the studied tree species in potential rate of recovery in the laboratory or in actual recovery in the field.     

Biomass functions applicable to Scots pine

This study describes parameterization of biomass functions applicable to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris, L.) in the conditions of Central Europe. Fifty-two sample trees from seven sites in different regions of the Czech Republic were used for destructive measurements. The observed aboveground biomass (B _AB) and its individual components were examined by different types of non-linear regression models using one to five independent variables including stem diameter (D), tree height (H), tree age (A), crown length (C) and altitude (Z). The best single-equation approximation of B _AB was a three-parameter model using D, H and Z, which was also best suited for bark. Including altitude into classical multiplicative exponential function with three independent variables (DHZ) and four parameters yielded the best model for stem over or under bark. Age was important for assessment of dead branches within DHA model, whereas living branches were best approximated using four variables including C (DHAC model). The most complex model (DHACZ) worked best for needle biomass. The comparison of B _AB assessment by single regression equation and from sum of individual components showed a negligible difference for full-grown trees, whereas the additive assessment yielded considerably higher B _AB for small or young trees. This corresponds to the assessed confidence intervals for individual trees that were larger for smaller trees. The paper also discusses the issue of commonly used linearization of biomass equations and application of linear regression, and provides comparative examples with nonlinear approach used here. The paper presents the parameter sets for the tested equations for B _AB and individual biomass components.     

Food reserves of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Summary Starch, soluble sugars, triacylglycerols, diacylglycerols and free fatty acids were measured in 30-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees during an annual cycle in the sapwood (youngest ten xylem rings). The radial distribution of carbohydrates and lipids was studied in the trunkwood of 90 -to 150-year-old Scots pine trees collected at the end of the growing season. Determination of the compounds was performed using specific enzymatic assays, capillary gas chromatography and thin layer chromatography. The amounts of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and galactose/arabinose in the sapwood were slightly higher in winter than in summer. Raffinose/stachyose increased up to 5-fold during the cold period. At the beginning of the growing season starch amounts rose, and then decreased in summer and autumn. No concentration changes were observed in the total amounts of diacylglycerols and fatty acids throughout the year. Triacylglycerol levels were slightly higher in February than in summer and autumn. Relative frequencies of individual fatty acids were similar in all lipid fractions. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, starch and triacylglycerols disappeared almost entirely at the transition zone from sapwood to heartwood. In contrast, free fatty acids and galactose/arabinose rose in centripetal direction, and diacylglycerols remained constant across trunk cross-sections. The relative amounts of individual fatty acids changed markedly in the free fatty acid fraction and in the triacylglycerols when crossing the sapwood-heartwood boundary. Concentration changes of reserve materials are discussed in relation to season, mobilization and translocation processes, dormancy, frost resistance, and heartwood formation. The results are compared to those found in needles.     

Uptake of water by lateral roots of small trees in an Amazonian Tropical Forest

A pulse chase technique was used to determine depth and breath of plant water uptake in an Amazonian evergreen forest. Two 2×2 m² plots were irrigated with deuterated water. The deuterium pulse, measured as D values of soil and plant sap water, was followed in the soil water profile and in stem water of small trees inside and up to 12 m away from the irrigated plots. The deuterium pulse percolation rate was measured to be approximately 0.25 m/month and similar to a previous study in central Amazon. There was little horizontal movement of label through the soil profile; allowing us to conclude that any evidence of label in plants away from the irrigation plots implies the presence of their roots inside the irrigation plots. The bulk of label uptake occurred in plants inside the irrigation plots. However, there were a few individuals as far as 10 m away picking up the label from the irrigation plots. This labeling pattern leads to the conclusion that small trees may have a core of water absorbing roots close to their main trunk, with some roots meandering far from their main trunk.     

Food reserves of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Summary The amounts of starch, soluble sugars, triacylglycerols, diacylglycerols and free fatty acids were studied in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) during an annual cycle in current-year needles and in 1-, 2- and 3-year-old needles collected shortly after bud break. Determination of the compounds was performed using specific enzymatic assays, capillary gas chromatography and thin layer chromatography. Newly emerging needles contained relatively large amounts of starch, but only trace amounts of fat. During autumn and winter, fat content rose, while starch content decreased; amounts of both these reserve materials were very high the next spring shortly before bud break and decreased again during shoot elongation. Concentration of intermediates in triacylglycerol biosynthesis (diacylglycerols and free fatty acids), were low in summer and high in winter. The same pattern was observed for fructose and glucose (the predominant soluble sugars), galactose/arabinose and raffinose/melibiose. In contrast, sucrose concentrations were highest in spring and in autumn. Mature needles of different ages collected in May showed significant differences only in their triacylglycerol and starch content. Concentration changes of reserve materials are discussed in relation to season, mobilization and translocation processes, dormancy, frost resistance and the possibility of carbohydrate-fat interconversions.     

Evaporative demand determines branchiness of Scots pine

Analysis of the branch area/stem area ratio of Scots pine growing in different climatic conditions in Europe and Siberia indicates that the branch area supported by a stem increases in warmer and drier conditions. The ratio was significantly correlated with several climatic variables, especially with potential evapotranspiration (E _p). The ratio was negatively correlated with stand density (d _s). A regression model combining E _p and d _s accounted for 85% of the total variation. These trends are believed to reflect hydraulic segmentation of trees and may represent a strategy to avoid cavitation in the tree, especially in the branches.     

Studies of crystallinity of Scots pine and Norway spruce cellulose

The variation in the mass fraction of crystalline cellulose (crystallinity of wood), the intrinsic crystallinity of cellulose, and the thickness of cellulose crystallites in early wood of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.], and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) grown in Finland were studied using wide angle X-ray scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The mass fraction of crystalline cellulose in wood increased slightly with the distance from the pith and was about 30±4% in mature wood of both species. The crystallinity of cellulose and the thickness of cellulose crystallites were almost constant for both species. The crystallinity of cellulose was 52±3% for both species and the average thickness of the cellulose crystallites was 32±1 Å and 31±1 Å for Norway spruce and Scots pine, respectively. The mass fraction of cellulose in wood, calculated from the crystallinity values, increased with the distance from the pith for both species.     

Larval mortality of pine sawflies [Hymenoptera: Diprionidae] in relation to pollution level: A field experiment

Larval mortality ofNeodiprion sertifer (Geoffroy),Diprion pini (L.) andGilpinia pallida (Klug) were studied in field experiments around a factory complex in southwestern Finland. Larval colonies were transferred on the shoots of Scots pines growing at different distances from the emission source. Larval mortality was highest near the factories. InN. sertifer, larval mortality caused by the nuclear polyhedrosis virus was higher and cocoon mortality caused by parasitoids was lower near the pollutant source. The most abundant parasitoid species wereSynomelix scutulata (Hartig) andLamachus eques (Hartig). 16–67% of theN. sertifer, 0–5% of theD. pini and the 73–100% ofG. pallida cocoons contained parasitoids oviposited during the larval period of the sawflies.      

AFLP mapping and detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for economically important traits in Pinus sylvestris: a preliminary study

We have applied a two-way pseudo-testcross strategy in an analysis of Pinus sylvestris for genetic mapping and detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with economically important traits targeted in the Swedish tree-breeding programme. Based on 94 full-sib progeny of a cross between two plus-trees from northern Sweden we generated two parental maps using AFLP markers. The female map was comprised of 94 markers assigned to 15 linkage groups giving a size of 796 cM. On the male map 155 markers were assigned to 15 linkage groups, giving a total size of 1335 cM. The recombination frequency was found to be sex-dependent, being 29.3% higher in male than in female gametes. On the female map, 12 QTLs were detected (but none for branch diameter or wood density). Three QTLs for tree height accounted for 25.8% of the total phenotypic variation of this trait. When the QTLs detected for all the traits were taken independently, the percentages of phenotypic variance ranged from 9.3% to 22.7%. The highest value was observed for frost hardiness, an important trait in northern Sweden for which a major gene seemed to be involved. A cluster of QTLs for tree height, trunk diameter and volume was located on one linkage group. On the male map, four QTLs for trunk diameter and volume were detected. Due to the reduced number of individuals under study, the results are preliminary and have to be validated on more trees.     

镁肥对水稻镁吸收与分配及稻米食味品质的影响

以‘宁粳2号’为材料,采用田间小区试验方法研究了单季粳稻施用镁肥后对镁吸收分配的影响。结果表明,从拔节到始穗期,水稻体内镁的阶段吸收量和吸收速度最高,分别为7.22 kg.hm-2和0.40 kg.hm-2.d-1;从拔节期到齐穗期,镁肥的施用促进了水稻对镁的吸收,其它生育期对外界镁浓度变化不敏感;镁肥的施用降低了镁在茎鞘和叶片中的分配比例,提高了镁在穗部的分配比例;齐穗后15~30 d为穗部积累镁的高峰期;在本实验范围内,随施肥水平的提高,稻米中的镁含量升高,RVA(Rapid of viscosity analysis)谱中最终黏度、回复值及消减值显著下降,最高黏度、热浆黏度和崩解值显著上升,糊化温度没有明显差异。施用镁肥提高了稻米食味品质,这其中以120 kg.hm-2用量效果最好。