Biological interactions of sulfur dioxide and Scirrhia acicola in loblolly pine

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1971

OSTI ID:6798717

Ham, D L

The present study was initiated to determine the possibility of an air pollutant, sulfur dioxide, predisposing loblolly pine to infection by Schirrhia acicola, as well as the individual and combined effects of sulfur dioxide and S. acicola on loblolly pine seedlings. Within each series seedlings were inoculated with a conidial suspension of S. acicola 48 hours before fumigation or 24 hours following fumigation with sulfur dioxide. Most seedlings were exposed to a sulfur dioxide concentration between 0.52 and 0.64 pM for 2 or 3 hours, while 1 series of seedlings was fumigated for 1 and 2 hours with 0.90 ppM of sulfur dioxide. Immediately following fumigation the rates of apparent photosynthesis and respiration of needle samples from representative seedlings were measured by infrared gas analysis to determine the effect of the sulfur dioxide. Two-week-old cultures of S. acicola on potato dextrose agar were not injured by 2 and 4 hour exposures to 1.0 ppM sulfur dioxide. Germination of conidia was unaffected by fumigations of 0.9 ppM for 3 and 6 hours. Following incubation periods of 5 to 9 months, none of the seedlings had become infected with S. acicola. Severity of visible sulfur dioxide damage to the needles was directly related to the dosage received by the seedlings. The rate of apparent photosynthesis immediately following fumigation proved to be a reliable means of measuring sulfur dioxide injury prior to or in the complete absence of visible damage. In most instances the rate of respiration immediately following fumigation was higher than the controls. No consistent relationship between sugar or sulfur contents of the needles and sulfur dioxide exposure could be established. 53 references, 9 figures, 20 tables.

• OSTI ID: 6798717
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- 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.
AIR POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONIFERS
FUNGI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PINES
PLANTS
POLLUTION
RESPIRATION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SYNTHESIS
TREES