Stomatal Response and Leaf Injury of Pisum sativum L. with SO(2) and O(3) Exposures : I. INFLUENCE OF POLLUTANT LEVEL AND LEAF MATURITY

Plants of Pisum sativum L. `Alsweet' were grown under a controlled environment and exposed to SO₂ and O₃ to determine whether changes in stomatal aperture during exposure were related to subsequent leaf injury. Stomata consistently closed with injurious levels of SO₂ and O₃. Measurements with diffusion porometers demonstrated 75 and 25% lower conductance with SO₂ and O₃ exposures, respectively, compared to the conductance of control plants. Stomata also showed a closing response with noninjurious levels of SO₂ but an opening response with noninjurious levels of O₃. Stomata closed to the same degree with combinations of SO₂ plus O₃ as with SO₂ alone. Stomata of expanding leaves closed more during pollutant exposures than stomata of expanded leaves. The abaxial and adaxial stomata both exhibited closure with SO₂ and combinations of SO₂ plus O₃, but abaxial stomata tended to close and adaxial stomata tended to open with exposure to O₃ alone.