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Changes in growth, leaf abscission, and biomass associated with seasonal tropospheric ozone exposures of Populus tremuloides clones and seedlings

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The effects of single-season tropospheric ozone (03) exposures on growth, leaf abscission, and biomass of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) rooted cuttings and seedlings were studied. Plants were grown in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in open-top chambers with 03 exposures that ranged from 7 to 92 ppm-h. Depending on the genotype, total seasonal 03 exposure in the range of 50-92 ppm-h had negative impacts on stem, retained leaf, and root biomass accumulation and on diameter growth. Leaf abscission generally increased with increasing 03 exposure and was the principal cause of the decrease in leaf biomass of the O3-treated plants. Considerable genetic variation in 03 responses occurred, as shown by differences in sensitivities among clones and among seedlings. However, the responses to 03 of rooted cuttings and seedlings were similar when seedling means were compared with clonal means for leaf abscission, diameter growth, retained leaf biomass, and root biomass. Comparison of a single square-wave treatment (52 ppm-h) with 70 and 92 ppm-h episodic exposures suggested that the plant response to the square-wave exposure was similar to the response to the highest episodic exposure even though the 92 ppm-h episodic exposure was almost twice the square-wave exposure. Our results are consistent with previous studies that show that P. tremuloides is highly responsive to O3 exposure and this response has a strong genetic component.

Citation

Karnosky, D.F.; Gagnon, Z.E.; Dickson, R.E.; Coleman, M.D.; Lee, E.H.; Isebrands, J.G. 1996. Changes in growth, leaf abscission, and biomass associated with seasonal tropospheric ozone exposures of Populus tremuloides clones and seedlings. Can. J. For. Res. 26: 23-37 (1996).
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/5077