Effects of anaerobic growth conditions on biomass accumulation, root morphology, and efficiencies of nutrient uptake and utilization in seedlings of some southern coastal plain pine species

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:7170309

Topa, M A

Seedlings of pond (Pinus serotina (Michx.)), sand (P. clausa (Engelm.) Sarg.), and loblolly pines (P. taeda L., drought-hardy and wet site seed sources) were grown in a non-circulating, continuously-flowing solution culture under anaerobic or aerobic conditions to determine the effects of anaerobics on overall growth, root morphology and efficiencies of nutrient uptake and utilization. Although shoot growth of the 11-week old loblolly and pond pines was not affected by anaerobic treatment, it did significantly reduce root biomass. Sand pine suffered the largest biomass reduction. Flooding tolerance was positively correlated with specific morphological changes which enhanced root internal aeration. Oxygen transport from shoot to the root in anaerobically-grown loblolly and pond pine seedlings was demonstrated via rhizosphere oxidation experiments. Tissue elemental analyses showed that anaerobic conditions interfered with nutrient absorption and utilization. Short-term /sup 32/p uptake experiments with intact seedlings indicated that net absorption decreased because of the reduction in root biomass, since H/sub 2/PO/sub 4//sup -/ influx in the anaerobically-grown seedlings was more than twice that of their aerobic counterparts. Sand pine possessed the physiological but not morphological capacity to increase P uptake under anaerobic growth conditions. Pond and wet-site loblolly pine seedlings maintained root growth, perhaps through enhanced internal root aeration - an advantage in field conditions where the phosphorus supply may be limited or highly localized.

• Research Organization: Duke Univ., Durham, NC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7170309
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

551001* -- Physiological Systems-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CONIFERS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
GROWTH
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MORPHOLOGY
NUCLEI
NUTRIENTS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS 32
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES
PHYSIOLOGY
PINES
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
ROOTS
SEEDLINGS
TREES
UPTAKE