The Response of Bean Plants to UV-B Radiation Under Different Irradiances of Background Visible Light

Plants of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (cv. Stella) were grown in controlledconditions under three different irradiances of visible lightwith or without UV-B (280–320nm) radiation. The biologicallyeffective UV-B radiation (UV-B_BE) was 6.17 kJ m^–2 d^–1,and simulated a c. 5% decrease in stratospheric ozone at 55.7?N,13.4?E. The photon flux densities of the photosyntheticallyactive radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) were either 700 µmolm^–2–1 (HL), 500, µmol m^–2 s^–1(ML) or 230 µmol m^–2 s^–1 PAR (LL). Under highlight (HL) conditions plus UV-B radiation, bean plants appearedmost resistant to the enhanced levels of UV-B radiation, andresponded only by increasing leaf thickness by c. 18%. A smallincrease in UV screening pigments was also observed. Both thelower irradiances (ML and LL) increased the sensitivity of theplants to UV-B radiation. Changes in leaf structure were alsoobserved. Photosystem II was inhibited under ML and LL togetherwith UV-B radiation, as determined by Chi fluorescence inductionand calculation of the fluorescence half-rise times. Leaf reflectivitymeasurements showed that the amount of PAR able to penetrateleaves of UV-B treated plants was reduced, and that a possiblecorrelation may exist between the reduced PAR levels, loss ofChi and lowered photosynthetic activity, especially for LL +UV-Bgrown plants, where surface reflection from leaves was highest.Changes in leaf chlorophyll content were mostly confined toplants grown under LL + UV-B, where a decrease of c. 20% wasfound. With regard to protective pigments (the carotenoids andUV screening pigments) plants subjected to different visiblelight conditions responded differently. Among the growth parametersmeasured, there was a substantial decrease in leaf area, particularlyunder LL + UV-B (c. 47% relative to controls), where leaf dryweight was also reduced by c. 25%. Key words: Chlorophyll fluorescence induction, bean, flavonoids, Phaseolus vulgaris, reflectance, UV-B radiation     

He-Ne激光对增强UV-B辐射小麦幼苗叶绿体的影响

对“晋麦8号”小麦幼苗分别采用5 mW·mm^-2 He-Ne激光辐照、10.08 kJ·m^-2·d^-1增强UV-B辐射及二者组合进行处理,研究各处理组小麦幼苗叶绿体膜透性、叶绿体蛋白质含量以及叶绿体偶联因子CF-1的ATP酶活性、希尔反应的活性变化。结果表明：UV-B辐射后小麦幼苗叶绿体膜透性增加,叶绿体蛋白质含量有一定的下降,而ATP酶活性、希尔反应的活性均受到抑制。经过He-Ne激光辐照可使叶绿体膜透性降低、叶绿体蛋白质含量有一定的升高,同时ATP酶活性、希尔反应的活性也受到部分激活。这些变化说明增强UV-B辐射引起小麦幼苗叶绿体损伤,而一定剂量的He-Ne激光辐照可部分修复增强UV-B对小麦幼苗光合系统的损伤。     

Dependence on Wavelength and Temperature of Growth Inhibition Induced by UV-B Irradiation

Cotyledons excised from dark-grown seedlings of cucumber (Cucumissativus L.) were cultured in vitro at 20C under visible andUV light. Various UV spectra were obtained by using a seriesof cut-off filters that had different transmittance properties.Growth of cotyledons was inhibited by irradiation at wavelengthsshorter than 320 nm and was not affected by irradiation at longerwavelengths. The synthesis of Chl in the cotyledons was stronglyinhibited by irradiation at 280–300 nm and slightly inhibitedby irradiation at 300–320 nm. Inhibition induced by irradiationat 280–300 nm was not affected by temperature, but theextent of inhibition by irradiation at 300–320 nm wasreduced at 25C. This dependence on temperature of the effectof UV light was also observed in the inhibition of photosynthesis.These results indicate that the mode of inhibition by UV lightat 280–300 nm may be different from that induced by UVlight at 300–320 nm and that two or more mechanisms maybe involved in the harmful effects of UV-B radiation. (Received May 10, 1993; Accepted June 15, 1993)     

The effects of ultraviolet radiation on the planktonic community of a shallow, eutrophic estuary: results of mesocosm experiments

This paper describes the results of pelagic mesocosm experiments designed to test the effects of enhanced and reduced ultraviolet radiation (UV) on the planktonic community of a Baltic Sea estuary. The Darss-Zingst estuary consists of a series of brackish lagoons with high concentrations of chlorophyll and dissolved organic matter. The shallow depth of the estuary ensures that organisms in the water are regularly exposed to high levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and UV. During the summer of 1995 and 1996, four 1-m³ mesocosms were filled with water from the mid-point of the estuary. Each compartment was equipped with a pump to simulate natural rates of wind-induced vertical mixing. The mesocosms were hung in the estuary from a floating raft and were shielded from above by filters to give the spectral treatments PAR only, PAR+UV-A, and PAR+UV-A+UV-B. Enhanced levels of UV-B, i.e. twice that of midday sunlight, were provided in a further treatment by artificial sunlamps. Experiments were conducted for periods of 3–14 days. No significant effects of enhanced or reduced UV-B were observed on chlorophyll a concentrations or photosynthetic performance, although the PAR-only treatment did show higher final chlorophyll concentrations in two of the trials. Phytoplankton pigment composition was measured by in vivo absorption and fluorescence excitation spectra, and was similar in all mesocosm treatments indicating that there were no major differences in functional group composition. Bacterial secondary production rates as measured by thymidine incorporation increased with time in all mesocosms, probably due to enhanced production of phytoplankton exudate. There was evidence for a small depression of secondary production by enhanced UV-B, but only on certain days. Microzooplankton generally increased in all mesocosms to population densities higher than those observed in the estuary, and tended to reach higher final values in the mesocosms exposed to UV. It is concluded that vertical mixing which reduces the residence time of planktonic organisms in the surface layers, and high concentrations of chromophoric, dissolved organic matter, which greatly reduce the penetration of UV-B, combined to protect the planktonic community from UV-B damage. Received in revised form: 5 June 2000 Electronic Publication     

UV-induced mortality of zoea I larvae of brown shrimp Crangon crangon (Linnaeus, 1758)

Zoea I larvae of the brown shrimp Crangon crangon (Decapoda)were exposed to varying levels of UV radiation in a sunshinesimulator. ‘Short-term exposures’ (0–8 h)were used to determine the highest UV dose with no significanteffect (NOEC; defined by limit of detection) and the lethaldose of 10 and 50% mortality (LD₁₀ and LD₅₀). Crangon crangonshowed a relatively high sensitivity to UVB radiation (NOEC= 10 kJ m^–2, LD₁₀ = 15 kJ m^–2, LD₅₀ = 24 kJ m^–2)compared to other crust-acean species. LD values (1997–1998)showed no adaptation to seasonal light regimes. ‘Long-termexposures’ (0–10 days) were carried out to assessthe range where the ‘law of reciprocity’ is valid.The larvae were exposed to UV levels of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.7 J m^–2for appropriate time intervals, always cumulating in a sublethaldose of 5 kJ m^–2 day^–1. Results reflect a possiblethreshold (0.2–0.4 J m^–2 UVB) in the effect of thedifferent UVB doses used; thus, a proportional relationshipof intensity and exposure time can only be shown at UVB levelsabove this threshold intensity.     

UV-B effects on microplankton communities in Kongsfjord, Svalbard - A mesocosm experiment

The effect of ambient ultraviolet radiation on microplankton communities in an Arctic fjord was measured in mesocosms incubated for 9 days at 2 or 5 meters depth. The mesocosms were either shielded from UV-B radiation by Mylar foil or received full radiation. The parameters measured were: microscopic counts of phytoplankton and micro-zooplankton, photosynthetic capacity, the wavelength-dependent inhibition of photosynthesis, and bacterial biomass and production. The results showed that UV-B radiation increased the photosynthetic capacity of the community but that the overall biomass of the plankton community was reduced. This indicates that UV-B exposure results in a net impairment of the plankton community in that it reduces the potential to allocate the photosynthetic product into new biomass or that the grazing pressure is higher in the UV-B exposed mesocosms. There were no differences in the wavelength dependence between communities exposed to UV-B versus not, but we observed a significantly lower dependence in communities from 2 m depth compared to those from 5 m, indicating that an acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus to high radiation also reduces the wavelength dependence. A general effect was an increase in nanoflagellate and choanoflagellate biomass and a decreased in the biomass of ciliates and bacteria. The increase nanoflagellates was significantly larger in mesocosms shielded from UV-B, while choanoflagellates increased more in UV-B exposed mesocosms.     

The influence of UV-B radiation on the physicochemical nature of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaf surfaces

Relationships between leaf wettability and surface physicochemicalcharacteristics were examined in two genotypes of tobacco (Nicotianatabacum L. cv. Samsun) grown under controlled conditions atthree different levels of biologically effective ultraviolet-B(UV-B_BE; 280–320 nm) radiation; 0 (control), 4.54 and5.66 kJ m^–2d^–1. Leaf wettability, assessed by measuringleaf-water droplet contact angles, was positively correlatedwith epicuticular wax chemical composition and trichome density,but not the amount of wax on the surface of leaves. Tobaccowax comprised a mixture of C₁₉–C₃₃ n-alkanes (59%) withhomologues containing an odd number of carbon atoms predominating,C₂₈–C₃₂ br-alkanes (38%), and a small quantity (3%) offree C_l6–C₁₈ fatty acids. Significant effects of UV-Bradiation upon wax production and chemical composition wererestricted to the adaxial surface of leaves. Enhanced UV-B radiationreduced the quantity of epicuticular wax in the more sensitivegenotype [GR32-3], assessed from effects on dry matter accumulation,partitioning and changes in leaf morphology, and resulted inmarked changes in wax composition and homologue distributionsin both genotypes. UV-B-induced increases in branching, andshifts toward the synthesis of shorter-chain homologues providedevidence for a fundamental effect of UV-B radiation on wax biosynthesis,with the observed effects consistent with a highly specificand direct effect of UV-B radiation on microsomal-based elongasesin the epidermis. UV-B radiation also reduced the density oftrichomes on the adaxial leaf surface, whilst increasing thenumber of trichomes on the abaxial leaf surface. Changes inwax composition and trichome density induced by UV-B radiationwere associated with increases in leaf surface wettability whichwere particularly pronounced on the adaxial surface. The subtle,though possibly far-reaching, physiological consequences ofsuch UV-B-induced changes in surface wettability are discussedin the light of other recent findings. Key words: Epicuticular wax chemistry, wax quantity, leaf wettability, trichome density, ultraviolet-B radiation     

Growth enhancement of soybean (Glycine max) upon exclusion of UV-B and UV-B/A components of solar radiation: characterization of photosynthetic parameters in leaves

Exclusion of UV (280–380 nm) radiation from the solar spectrum can be an important tool to assess the impact of ambient UV radiation on plant growth and performance of crop plants. The effect of exclusion of UV-B and UV-A from solar radiation on the growth and photosynthetic components in soybean (Glycine max) leaves were investigated. Exclusion of solar UV-B and UV-B/A radiation, enhanced the fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area as well as induced a dramatic increase in plant height, which reflected a net increase in biomass. Dry weight increase per unit leaf area was quite significant upon both UV-B and UV-B/A exclusion from the solar spectrum. However, no changes in chlorophyll a and b contents were observed by exclusion of solar UV radiation but the content of carotenoids was significantly (34–46%) lowered. Analysis of chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence transient parameters of leaf segments suggested no change in the F _v/F _m value due to UV-B or UV-B/A exclusion. Only a small reduction in photo-oxidized signal I (P700⁺)/unit Chl was noted. Interestingly the total soluble protein content per unit leaf area increased by 18% in UV-B/A and 40% in UV-B excluded samples, suggesting a unique upregulation of biosynthesis and accumulation of biomass. Solar UV radiation thus seems to primarily affect the photomorphogenic regulatory system that leads to an enhanced growth of leaves and an enhanced rate of net photosynthesis in soybean, a crop plant of economic importance. The presence of ultra-violet components in sunlight seems to arrest carbon sequestration in plants. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Response of antioxidant defense system to laser radiation apical meristem of Isatis indigotica seedlings exposed to UV-B

To determine the response of antioxidant defense system to laser radiation apical meristem of Isatis indigotica seedlings, Isatis indigotica seedlings were subjected to UV-B radiation (10.08 kJ m⁻²) for 8 h day⁻¹ for 8 days (PAR, 220 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and then exposed to He-Ne laser radiation (633 nm; 5.23 mW mm⁻²; beam diameter: 1.5 mm) for 5 min each day without ambient light radiation. Changes in free radical elimination systems were measured, the results indicate that: (1) UV-B radiation enhanced the concentration of Malondialdahyde (MDA) and decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in seedlings compared with the control. The concentration of MDA was decreased and the activities of SOD, CAT and POD were increased when seedlings were subjected to elevated UV-B damage followed by laser; (2) the concentration of UV absorbing compounds and proline were increased progressively with UV-B irradiation, laser irradiation and He-Ne laser irradiation plus UV-B irradiation compared with the control. These results suggest that laser radiation has an active function in repairing UV-B-induced lesions in seedlings.Key words: Isatis indigotica, laser, UV-B lesion     

He-Ne激光对增强UV-B辐射小麦幼苗多胺氧化酶和过氧化物酶活性的研究

采用He-Ne激光辐照对增强UV-B辐射后小麦幼苗的损伤修复作用进行了研究。小麦种子在盛有湿滤纸的培养皿内25℃下进行萌发。萌发后小麦幼苗在经10.08 kJ·m^-2·d^-1的增强UV-B辐射,然后再用5 mW·mm^-2的He-Ne激光进行辐照。通过小麦幼苗叶片游离脯氨酸含量、多胺氧化酶和过氧化物酶的活性变化,测定了He-Ne激光对小麦UV-B损伤的修复情况。结果表明,游离脯氨酸、多胺氧化酶、过氧化物酶的变化同小麦幼苗损伤的修复的能力相关联。He-Ne激光辐照可使由增强UV-B辐射后诱导叶片升高的游离脯氨酸含量降低。增强UV-B辐射对多胺氧化酶（PAO）活性和过氧化物酶（POD）活性呈促进的作用。辐射6 d后PAO和POD总的活性呈正相关性,PAO和POD活性都呈现B组最高,L组最低,且差异显著。显示He-Ne激光对两种酶由于增强UV-B辐照造成的伤害有一定的修复。     

Enhancement in leghemoglobin content of root nodules by exclusion of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation in soybean

The impact of exclusion of solar UV-B (280–320 nm) and UV-A+B (280–400 nm) radiation on the root nodules was studied in soybean(Glycine max var. MACS 330). Soybean plants were grown in the tropical region of Indore (Latitude-22.4°N), India under field conditions in metal cages covered with polyester exclusion filters that specifically cut off UV-B (<320 nm) and UV-A+B (<400 nm) radiation; control plants were grown under ambient solar radiation. Leghemoglobin content was analyzed in the root nodules on the 50^th day after emergence of seedlings. Exclusion of UV radiations significantly enhanced the leghemoglobin content in the nodules on fresh weight basis; 25% and 45% higher amount of leghemoglobin were present in the nodules after the exclusion of UV-B and UV-A+B radiation respectively. Analysis by native and SDS-PAGE showed high intense bands of leghemoglobin after the exclusion of UV-A+B as compared to control. Exclusion of UV radiation also enhanced the growth of roots as well as aerial parts of the plants. UV Exclusion increased nodulation by increase in the number and size of nodules. The results are discussed in the light of advantage of exclusion for enhancing protein/nitrogen content in the plants.     

He-Ne激光和增强UV-B辐射对小麦幼苗类囊体捕光色素的影响

采用5mW.mm-2He-Ne激光辐照、10.08kJ.m-2d-1UV-B辐射及二者组合对冬小麦幼苗进行处理。通过测定叶绿体捕光色素含量和色素蛋白组成的变化,进一步探讨He-Ne激光对增强UV-B辐射后小麦幼苗类囊体捕光色素损伤的修复效应。循环处理小麦幼苗4d,利用90%乙醇和80%丙酮分别提取各处理组小麦幼苗叶片中的叶绿素,通过纸层析和分光光度法检测捕光色素含量的变化,并探讨不同处理对叶绿素与蛋白质结合牢固性的影响。利用柱层析法测定色素蛋白的主要成分。研究表明:与对照组相比,增强UV-B辐照后小麦幼苗捕光色素总含量降低了17.76%,叶绿素和蛋白质结合牢固度显著降低,色素蛋白的组成也发生变化,D1和D2蛋白质条带消失;而一定剂量He-Ne激光辐照可使增强UV-B辐射后的叶绿体色素含量增加约10.64%,但仍低于ck组约8.12%,叶绿素和蛋白质结合牢固度也显著高于B组,色素蛋白的组成与对照组相似。因此,低剂量的He-Ne激光辐照对增强UV-B辐射后小麦幼苗类囊体捕光色素的损伤具有促进修复效应。     

Effect of elevated CO2 on the utilization of light energy in Nothofagus fusca and Pinus radiata

Red beech (Nothofagus fusca (Hook. F.) Oerst.; Fagaceae) andradiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don; Pinaceae) were grown for16 months in large open-top chambers at ambient (37 Pa) andelevated (66 Pa) atmospheric partial pressure of CO₂, and incontrol plots (no chamber). Summer-time measurements showedthat photosynthetic capacity was similar at elevated CO₂ (lightand CO₂-saturated value of 17.2 µmol m^–2 s^–1for beech, 13.5 µmol m^–2 s^–1 for pine), plantsgrown at ambient CO₂ (beech 21.0 µmol^–2 s^–1,pine 14.9 µmol m^–2s^–1) or control plants grownwithout chambers (beech 23.2 µmol m^–2 s^–1,pine 12.9 µmol m^–2 s^–1). However, the higherCO₂ partial pressure had a direct effect on photosynthetic rate,such that under their respective growth conditions, photosynthesisfor the elevated CO₂ treatment (measured at 70 Pa CO₂ partialpressure: beech 14.1 µmol m^–2 s^–1 pine 10.3)was greater than in ambient (measured at 35 Pa CO₂: beech 9.7µmol m^–2 s^–1, pine 7.0 µmol m^–2s^–1) or control plants (beech 10.8 µmol m^–2s^–1, pine 7.2 µmol m^–2 s^–1). Measurementsof chlorophyll fluorescence revealed no evidence of photodamagein any treatment for either species. The quantity of the photoprotectivexanthophyll cycle pigments and their degree of de-epoxidationat midday did not differ among treatments for either species.The photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (yield) was lowerin control plants than in chamber-grown plants, and was higherin chamber plants at ambient than at elevated CO₂. These resultssuggest that at lower (ambient) CO₂ partial pressure, beechplants may have dissipated excess energy by a mechanism thatdoes not involve the xanthophyll cycle pigments. Key words: Carotenoids, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthesis, photoinhibition, photoprotection, xanthophyll cycle     

Needle ontogeny of mature Scots pines under enhanced UV-B radiation

The aim of this work was to test our hypothesis that pine needles protect themselves against UV-B radiation via anatomical changes in the epidermal layer. This could lead to needle growth reductions if large quantities of assimilates are allocated for the epidermal protective mechanisms at the expense of photosynthetic area. Effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on the needle ontogeny of mature Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) were studied during the second season of a field experiment. Depending on the season and the time of the year (1996-1997), the enhanced UV-B irradiance varied from 0.92 to 5.09 kJ m^-2 day^-1 UV-B_BE compared to 0.54-2.44 kJ m^-2 day^-1 UV-B_BE of ambient radiation. It was found that UV-B treatment accelerated the early development of needles. In 6-day-old enhanced UV-B-treated needles, mesophyll and hypodermic cells were fully differentiated, whereas in ambient-treated needles, no lobate mesophyll cells were seen and hypodermic cells had not yet developed. In fully grown needles, no accelerated differentiation was seen, except that the epidermal cross-sectional area was smaller. The continuation of the experiment will show if such a significant difference only occurs irregularly and incidentally or if it is of consistent significance for needles.     

Effects of chronic, low levels of UV radiation on carbon allocation in Cryptomonas erosa and competition between C.erosa and bacteria in continuous cultures

We conducted a long term (4 week) continuous culture studyto measure the chronic effects of UV radiation on the alga,Cryptomonas erosa, using three different fluence rates of UVradiation. We measured carbon allocation into carbohydrate,protein and lipid pools, as well as chlorophyll a concentrationsand algal and bacterial density. After 21 days, algal densityin the control and lowest UV treatment (treatment 1 = 3.4 Wm^–2 UVR unweighted) was significantly lower than in thetwo highest UV treatments (treatment 2 = 14.9 W m^–2 andtreatment 3 = 16.2 W m^–2 UVR unweighted), and did notrecover in the following week of no UV exposure. Chlorophylla and carbohydrate content (ng algal cell^–1) for the controland treatment 1 were clearly lower than treatments 2 and 3 byday 15, and did not recover by day 28. Percentage total lipidfor the control and treatment 1 also decreased compared withtreatments 2 and 3 by the end of the exposure period. However,by day 21, protein content for the control and treatment 1 wassignificantly higher than treatments 2 and 3, and demonstrateda further increase by day 28. The results were largely attributedto competition effects between C.erosa and bacteria in thesenon-axenic cultures. Bacterial density was significantly (x4)higher in the control and lowest UV treatment compared withthe two highest UV treatments. Our findings suggest a competitiveadvantage of phytoplankton over bacteria under these conditions.If UV radiation, in general, affects bacteria to a greater extentthan algae, there are likely to be changes in (i) bacterialutilization of dissolved organic matter produced by phytoplankton,(ii) competition between phytoplankton and bacteria for nutrientminerals and (iii) predation rates on bacteria by micro-flagellates.     

The influence of UV-B radiation on light-dependent photosynthetic performance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sanionia uncinata </Emphasis>(Hedw.) Loeske in Antarctica

Photosynthetic activity of the moss Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske was investigated on Léonie Island (67°35'S, 68°20'W, Antarctic Peninsula) in response to short-term changes of UV-B radiation. The UV-environment of natural mat formations dominated by S. uncinata was altered using filter screens. Two filter experiments were conducted in the Antarctic summers 1998 and 1999. A third filter experiment was conducted during springtime ozone depletion in October 1998. Photosynthetic activity of S. uncinata was mainly determined by photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD). Light response of relative electron transport rate through photosystem II (rel ETR=jF/Fm'2PPFD) remained unaffected by ambient summer levels of UV-B radiation. The same was found for net photosynthesis and dark respiration. In October 1998, S. uncinata was mainly metabolically inactive due to low temperatures. No significant levels of DNA-damage measured as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) were induced by ambient summer levels of UV-B. Artificially enhanced UV-B radiation supplying a Setlow-DNA-dose of 8.7 kJ m^ф day^у UV-B led to formation of 7Dž CPD (10⁶ nucleotides)^-1. It is concluded that current ambient summer levels of UV-B radiation do not affect photosynthetic activity in S. uncinata.     

Seasonal variations of bacterial abundance and biomass and their relation to phytoplankton in the hypertrophic tropical lagoon Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombia

The seasonal development of bacteria was studied in the hypertrophiccoastal lagoon Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (Caribbeancoast of Colombia). This large but only 1.5 m deep lagoon issubject to strong seasonal variations of salinity from almostfully marine (April/May) to brackish conditions in October/November.Chlorophyll ranged from 6 to 182 µg L^–1, and grossprimary production amounted to 1690 g C m^–2 per year.Total bacterial number (TBN) ranged from 6.5 to 90.5 x 10⁹ cellsL^–1 and bacterial biomass (BBM) from 77 to 1542 µgC L^–1, which are among the highest ever reported for naturalcoastal waters. Neither TBN nor BBM varied significantly withsalinity, phytoplankton or seston concentrations. Only the bacterialmean cell volume showed a significant relation to salinity,being highest (0.066 µm³) during the period of increasingand lowest (0.032 µm³) during decreasing salinity. Bacterialprotein accounted for 24% (19–26%) and phytoplankton proteinfor 57% (53–71%) of total seston protein. The ratio (annualmean) of bacterial carbon to phytoplankton carbon was 0.44 (range0.04–1.43). At low phytoplankton abundance [chlorophylla (Chl a) < 25 µg L^–1], bacterial carbon wasalmost equal to phytoplankton biomass (i.e. the mean ratio was1.04). In contrast, at Chl a > 100 µg L^–1, BBMwas low compared to phytoplankton biomass (the mean ratio was0.16). In general, BBM varied less than phytoplankton biomass.Most probably, the missing correlation between bacterial andphytoplankton variables was due to (i) organic material partlyderived from allochthonous sources serving as food resourcefor bacteria and (ii) a strong resuspension of bacteria fromthe sediment caused by frequent wind-induced mixing of the veryshallow lagoon.     

Changes in morphological, photosynthetic and physiological responses of Mono Maple seedlings to enhanced UV-B and to nitrogen addition

In the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China, Mono Maple is a common species in reforestation processes. The paper mainly investigated the changes in morphological, photosynthetic and physiological responses of Mono Maple seedlings to UV-B radiation, nitrogen supply and their combination. The experimental design included two levels of UV-B treatments (ambient UV-B, 11.02 KJ m⁻² day⁻¹; enhanced UV-B, 14.33 KJ m⁻² day⁻¹) and two nitrogen levels (0; 20 g N m⁻² a⁻¹)—to determine whether the adverse effects of UV-B on plants are eased by nitrogen supply. Enhanced UV-B caused a marked decline in growth parameters, net photosynthetic rate, and photosynthetic pigments, whereas it induced an increase in reaction oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide accumulation and the rate of superoxide radical production) and malondialdehyde content. Enhance UV-B also induced an increase in antioxidant compounds of Mono Maple, such as UV-B absorbing compounds, proline content, and activities of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase, superoxide dimutase and catalase). On the other hand, nitrogen supply caused an increase in some growth parameters, net photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant compounds (peroxidase, proline content and UV-B absorbing compounds), and reduced the content of reaction oxygen species (H₂O₂ accumulation, the rate of O₂⁻ production) and malondialdehyde content under ambient UV-B. However, under enhanced UV-B, nitrogen supply inhibited some growth parameters, and increased H₂O₂ accumulation, the rate of O₂⁻ production and MDA content, though proline content, UV-B absorbing compounds and activities of POD and SOD increased. These results implied that enhanced UV-B brought harmful effects on Mono Maple seedlings and nitrogen supply made plants more sensitive to enhanced UV-B, though increased some antioxidant activity.     

Endogenous Ammonium Generation in Maize Roots and its Relationship to other Ammonium Fluxes

An investigation to determine the magnitude of the back reactionswhich occur during net ammonium uptake by roots and during netammonium assimilation within roots was undertaken with maize(Zea mays L.). Ten-day-old seedlings, which had been grown on250 mmol m^–3 ammonium at pH 4 or 6, were pretreated for3 h in the absence or presence of 500 mmol m ^–3 MSX (methionine-DL-sulphoximine),an inhibitor of the glutamine synthetase-catalysed pathway ofammonium assimilation. They were then exposed for 2 h to 99A% ¹⁵N-ammonium ± MSX. Substantial ammonium cycling occurredduring net ammonium uptake. Efflux was enhanced by MSX treatment,reflecting a 2- to 3-fold accumulation of ammonium in the roottissue. Influx of ammonium was also increased by treatment withMSX, indicating that influx was enhanced when products of ammoniumassimilation were dissipated. The decline in root ¹⁴N-ammoniumaccounted for only a small fraction of the ¹⁴N-ammonium recoveredin the ambient ¹⁵N-ammonium solution, revealing a substantialgeneration of endogenous ¹⁴N-ammonium during the 2 h exposure.The net quantity of ammonium generated was increased appreciablywhen assimilation of ammonium was restricted by MSX and it wasestimated to occur at least 50% faster than net ammonium uptake.Presence of MSX severely decreased translocation of ¹⁵N to shootsbut had a smaller influence on incorporation of ¹⁵N into macromoleculesof the root tissue. The various ammonium flux rates were notgreatly affected by growth at pH 4.0, implying a considerableresistance of ammonium assimilation processes in these maizeroots to the high ambient acidity commonly induced by exposureto ammonium Key words: Ammonium generation, uptake, assimilation