Plant response to simulated acid rain with special reference to foliar injury, foliar leaching, trichome status and plant nutrition

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6577719

Keever, G J

The effects on plants of increased levels of acidity of precipitation are largely unknown. To evaluate plant response to acid rain, herbaceous and woody species were exposed to simulated rain (SR) at pH values from 2.7 to 5.7. Species exposed to simulated acid rain (SAR) exhibited a wide variety of symptoms, with lesions developing on both vegetative and reproductive structures. Herbaceous species were more susceptible than woody species to SAR, whereas coniferous species were least susceptible. With most species, rapidly expanding leaves were most susceptible to SAR. Trichomes were not a preferential site for the occurrence of injury by SAR. Plants of Zinnia developed an increased tolerance to SAR with repeated exposure. Plants supplied with higher levels of nutrients exhibited a greater susceptibility to SAR. Growth of plants increased with exposure to slightly acidic SR and decreased under more acidic SR. Foliar leaching of /sup 86/Rb increased with increasing acidity of SR but was always associated with visible foliar symptoms. Plants grown in the greenhouse and outdoors differed in susceptibility to SAR, both in the development of foliar symptoms and in the foliar leaching of /sup 86/Rb. A hypothesis for injury to plants exposed to SAR was proposed. Severity of injury is influenced by conditions of the rain event and characteristics of the plant. Leaf characteristics influencing the degree of injury include ease of wettability, rate of cuticular penetration and tolerance or resistance of underlying cells to altered extracellular or intracellular pH.

• OSTI ID: 6577719
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID RAIN
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISSOLUTION
INJURIES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEACHING
LEAVES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUTRITION
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RAIN
RUBIDIUM 86
RUBIDIUM ISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIMULATION
VARIATIONS