The Level of Particulate Matter on Foliage Depends on the Distance from the Source of Emission

One of the most dangerous inhaled pollutants is particulate matter (PM). PM in inhaled air have a negative impact on human wellbeing and health, and may even cause deaths. Where pollutants have been emitted into the outdoor atmosphere, the only possible method for cleaning the air is through phytoremediation, a form of environmental biotechnology, where plants act as biological filters for pollutants. This study compared PM levels on the leaves of Tilia cordata Mill. trees growing in locations at increasing distances from the source of the PM emission. Significant differences between individual trees growing at a distance of between 3 m and 500 m from the road edge were found in: (i) the mass of PM that accumulated on leaves (total, surface, in-wax and the three determined size fractions) and (ii) the amount of waxes deposited on leaves.     

Shape of leaf photosynthetic electron transport versus temperature response curve is not constant along canopy light gradients in temperate deciduous trees

Responses of foliar light-saturated net assimilation rate (A_max), capacity for photosynthetic electron transport (J_max) and mitochondrial respiration rate (R_d) to long-term canopy light and temperature environment were investigated in a temperate deciduous canopy composed of Populus tremula L. in the upper (17–28 m) and of Tilia cordata Mill. in the lower canopy layer (4–17 m). Climatic measurements indicated that seasonal average daily maximum air temperature (T_max) was 5·5 °C (range 0·7–10·5 °C) higher in the top than in the bottom of the canopy, and strong positive correlations were observed between T_max and seasonal average integrated quantum flux density (Q_int), as well as between seasonal average daily mean temperature and Q_int. Because of changes in leaf dry mass and nitrogen per unit area, A_max, J_max, and R_d scaled positively with Q_int in both species at a common leaf temperature (T). According to J_max versus T response curves and dark chlorophyll fluorescence transients, photosynthetic electron transport was less heat resistant in P. tremula with optimum temperature of J_max, T_opt, of 33·5 ± 0·6 °C than in T. cordata with T_opt of 40·7 ± 0·6 °C. This difference was suggested to manifest evolutionary adaptation of photosynthetic electron transport to cooler environments in P. tremula, the range of which extends farther north than that in T. cordata. Possibly because of acclimation to long-term canopy temperature environment, T_opt was positively related to Q_int in P. tremula, foliage of which was also exposed to higher irradiances and temperatures, but not in T. cordata, in the canopy of which quantum flux densities and temperatures were lower, and gradients in the environmental factors less pronounced. Parallel to changes in T_opt, the activation energy for photosynthetic electron transport decreased with increasing Q_int in P. tremula, indicating that J_max of leaves acclimated to colder environment was more responsive to T in lower temperatures than that of high T acclimated leaves. Similar alterations in the activation energy for mitochondrial respiration rate were also observed, indicating that acclimation to temperature of mitochondrial and chloroplastic electron transport proceeds in a co-ordinated manner, and possibly involves long-term changes in membrane fluidity properties. We conclude that, because of correlations between temperature and light, the shapes of J_max versus T, and R_d versus T response curves vary within tree canopies, and this needs to be taken account in modelling whole canopy photosynthesis.     

择伐对紫椴次生林乔木幼苗分布格局及种间关联性的影响

研究张广才岭林区未经人为干扰的(自然恢复次生林)和择伐后20年(择伐经营次生林)的2种紫椴次生林林分的乔木树种幼苗的分布格局及其种间关联性。结果表明: 阳性软阔叶和阴性树种幼苗在自然恢复次生林中重要值分别为7.9和64.5,在择伐经营次生林中为3.9和68.9;自然恢复次生林和择伐经营次生林中乔木树种幼苗的空间分布点格局分别在0～18 m和0～15 m尺度内呈聚集分布。自然恢复次生林中,14～45 m尺度上树种对多呈负相关;而择伐经营次生林中,所有尺度上的树种对多呈无相关性。在择伐经营次生林中,更新层中有57%的紫椴幼苗与其他乔木幼苗的树种对在大尺度上(31～45 m)呈负相关,在自然恢复次生林中该比例大于60%。在择伐经营次生林中,色木槭幼苗与其他乔木幼苗的树种对在更多尺度上(6～45 m)主要呈负相关,自然恢复次生林中的色木槭幼苗与其他乔木幼苗的树种对多在小尺度上(0～5 m)呈正相关,在大尺度上(31～45 m)无相关性。择伐加快了紫椴次生林未来的演替速度,一定程度上使得乔木树种幼苗在更大距离尺度上呈现出随机分布状态,并促使林分中乔木树种幼苗的种间关系更加协调,调整了紫椴种群幼苗种间的空间竞争关系。2个林分均处在演替进程中,在今后的林分管理中,应适当采取人工经营措施以促进林分更新及群落的恢复。     

Base-cation Cycling by Individual Tree Species in Old-growth Forests of Upper Michigan,USA

The influence of individual tree species on base-cation (Ca, Mg, K, Na) distribution and cycling was examined in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), basswood (Tilia americana L.), and hemlock (Tsuga canadensis L.) in old-growth northern hardwood – hemlock forests on a sandy, mixed, frigid, Typic Haplorthod over two growing seasons in northwestern Michigan. Base cations in biomass, forest floor, and mineral soil (0–15 cm and 15–40 cm) pools were estimated for five replicated trees of each species; measured fluxes included bulk precipitation, throughfall, stemflow, litterfall, forest-floor leachate, mineralization + weathering, shallow-soil leachate, and deep-soil leachate. The three species differed in where base cations had accumulated within the single-tree ecosystems. Within these three single-tree ecosystems, the greatest quantity of base cations in woody biomass was found in sugar maple, whereas hemlock and basswood displayed the greatest amount in the upper 40 cm of mineral soil. Base-cation pools were ranked: sugar maple > basswood, hemlock in woody biomass; sugar maple, basswood > hemlock in foliage; hemlock > sugar maple, basswood in the forest floor, and basswood > sugar maple, hemlock in the mineral soil. Base-cation fluxes in throughfall, stemflow, the forest-floor leachate, and the deep-soil leachate (2000 only) were ranked: basswood > sugar maple > hemlock. Our measurements suggest that species-related differences in nutrient cycling are sufficient to produce significant differences in base-cation contents of the soil over short time intervals (<65 years). Moreover, these species-mediated differences may be important controls over the spatial pattern and edaphic processes of northern hardwood-hemlock ecosystems in the upper Great Lakes region.     

Effects of tree species composition on within‐forest distribution of understorey species

Question: Do tree species, with different litter qualities, affect the within‐forest distribution of forest understorey species on intermediate to base‐rich soils? Since habitat loss and fragmentation have caused ancient forest species to decline, those species are the main focus of this study. Location: Three ancient forests, along a soil gradient from acidification‐sensitive to base‐rich, were studied: Limbrichterbosch and Savelsbos in The Netherlands and Holtkrat in Denmark. Methods: Canopy and soil surveys along transects generated data for Redundancy Analysis on tree – humus relationships. We analysed the distribution of forest plant species with Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The explanatory factors were soil characteristics (pH, organic matter, loam content and thickness of the humus layers), external crown projection, ground water and canopy data. We further analysed the relationship between forest species and humus characteristics with Spearman correlations. Results: Tree species have a significant impact on humus characteristics through the nature of their litter. Humus characteristics significantly explain the distribution of forest understorey species. The pH of the first 25 cm mineral soil and the thickness of the F‐ (fermentation) layer are the primary factors affecting the distribution of ancient forest species. Conclusion: This study indicates that the species composition of the forest canopy affects the distribution of forest understorey species. Ancient forest species are more abundant and frequent underneath trees with base‐rich litter. On acidification‐sensitive soils these relationships were stronger than on more base‐rich, loamy soils.     

Autumnal changes in total nitrogen, salt-extractable proteins and amino acids in leaves and adjacent bark of black alder, eastern cottonwood and white basswood

Autumnal changes in total nitrogen, salt-extractable protein and amino acid concentrations in leaves and adjacent bark of black alder [ Ainus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.], eastern cottonwood ( Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh.) and white basswood ( Tilia heterophylla Vent.) were determined for trees growing on minespoils and a prairiederived loamy soil in central Illinois. The composition of free amino acids in foliage was also determined at peak concentration for each tree species during late senescence. Total nitrogen concentration in the leaves decreased slowly throughout most of the fall for all species. In the final stages of senescence, total leaf nitrogen concentrations were about halved in eastern cottonwood and white basswood but continued to decrease slowly in black alder. The concentration of salt-extractable proteins in leaves of all species peaked early in the fall and then declined prior to leaf abscission. This decline coincided with an increase in the concentration of free amino acids in the leaves. The increase stabilized in both eastern poplar and white basswood but continued in black alder. Glutamine in black alder and eastern cottonwood, and asparagine in white basswood were the most abundant free amino acids at the time of peak concentration of total free amino acids in senescent leaves. Bark of trees of all species had higher nitrogen concentrations and higher proportions of salt-extractable proteins to estimated total proteins after leaf senescence than during the preceding summer. Results indicate that autumnal fluxes in leaf and bark nitrogen fractions of alder can differ substantially from fluxes in other broadleaved winter-deciduous trees in a way which suggests that alder does not effectively conserve leaf nitrogen through retranslocation to bark tissue.