Age effects on Norway spruce (Picea abies) susceptibility to ozone uptake: a novel approach relating stress avoidance to defense

Cumulative ozone (O3) uptake and O3 flux were related to physiological, morphological and biochemical characteristics of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees of different ages. Under ambient CO2 conditions, photosynthetic capacity (Amax) declined in mature trees when cumulative O3 uptake into needles, which provides a measure of effective O3 dose, exceeded 21 mmol m-2 of total needle surface area. A comparable decline in Amax of seedlings occurred when cumulative O(3) uptake was only 4.5 mmol m-2. The threshold O3 flux causing a significant decline in Amax ranged between 2.14 and 2.45 nmol m-2 s-1 in mature trees and seedlings subjected to exposure periods of > or = 70 and > or = 23 days, respectively. The greater O3 sensitivity of young trees compared with mature trees was associated with needle morphology. Biomass of a 100-needle sample increased significantly with tree age, whereas a negative correlation was found for specific leaf area, these changes parallel those observed during differentiation from shade-type to sun-type needles with tree ontogeny. Age-dependent changes in leaf morphology were related to changes in detoxification capacity, with area-based concentrations of ascorbate increasing during tree ontogeny. These findings indicate that the extent of O3-induced injury is related to the ratio of potentially available antioxidants to O3 influx. Because this ratio, when calculated for ascorbate, increased with tree age, we conclude that the ratio may serve as an empirical basis for characterizing age-related differences in tree responses to O3.     

Die Esche(Fraxinus excelsior L.) — ein Baum des Leipziger Auwaldes?

Zusammenfassung Die historische Analyse der Waldentwicklung des Leipziger Auwaldes ergab, da?Fraxinus excelsior bis Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts nicht in der Baumschicht vorkam. Ihre Einbringung erfolgte durch forstliche Ma?nahmen beginnend am Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts und wurde ab 1870 verst?rkt. Heute ist die Esche die h?ufigste Baumart im Leipziger Auwald. Weitere Beispiele zeigen, da? der Eschenanbau keine lokale Erscheinung darstellt, sondern auch in anderen europ?ischen Gebieten zur gleichen Zeit erfolgte.      

The ratio of NPP to GPP: evidence of change over the course of stand development

Using Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Fenno-Scandia as a case study, we investigate whether net primary production (NPP) and maintenance respiration are constant fractions of gross primary production (GPP) as even-aged mono-specific stands progress from initiation to old age. A model of the ratio of NPP to GPP is developed based on (1) the classical model of respiration, which divides total respiration into construction and maintenance components, and (2) a process-based model, which derives respiration from processes including construction, nitrate uptake and reduction, ion uptake, phloem loading and maintenance. Published estimates of specific respiration and production rates, and some recent measurements of components of dry matter in stands of different ages, are used to quantify the two approaches over the course of stand development in an average environment. Both approaches give similar results, showing a decrease in the NPP/GPP ratio with increasing tree height. In addition, we show that stand-growth models fitted under three different sets of assumptions-(i) annual specific rates of maintenance respiration of sapwood (mW) and photosynthesis (sC) are constant; (ii) m(W) is constant, but sC decreases with increasing tree height; and (iii) total maintenance respiration is a constant fraction of GPP and s(C) decreases with increasing tree height-can lead to nearly identical model projections that agree with empirical observations of NPP and stand-growth variables. Remeasurements of GPP and respiration over time in chronosequences of stands may be needed to discern which set of assumptions is correct. Total (construction + maintenance) sapwood respiration per unit mass of sapwood (kg C (kg C year)-1) decreased with increasing stand age, sapwood stock, and average tree height under all three assumptions. However, total sapwood respiration (kg C (ha year)-1) increased over the course of stand development under (i) and (ii), contributing to a downward trend in the time course of the NPP/GPP ratio after closure. A moderate decrease in mW with increasing tree height or sapwood cross-sectional area had little effect on the downward trend. On the basis of this evidence, we argue that a significant decline in the NPP/GPP ratio with tree size or age seems highly probable, although the decline may appear insignificant over some segments of stand development. We also argue that, because stand-growth models can give correct answers for the wrong reasons, statistical calibration of such models should be avoided whenever possible; instead, values of physiological parameters should come from measurements of the physiological processes themselves.     

Deformation kinetics based rheological model for the time-dependent and moisture induced deformation of wood

Summary A new general rheological model for the calculation of the creep of wood is presented. The flow equation derived in the theory of molecular deformation kinetics is adjusted to account for creep flow, moisture content change induced swelling/shrinkage and their combined effect by making an assumption that both of these processes activate the same bond breaking and reforming process. The rheological model is built by making the dashpots in a generalised Maxwell material model to obey the adjusted flow equation and by placing an additional swelling/shrinkage component to each parallel Maxwell element. Two calculated examples of the performance of the model with comparisons to experiment results are given. It seems that an explanation for the mechano-sorptive effect can be found at the coupling of the creep deformation process and moisture swelling/shrinkage and the non-linearity of the phenomena.This work has been financed by the Academy of Finland and VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland)     

Light sources with different spectra affect root and mycorrhiza formation in Scots pine in vitro

We studied the effects of broad-spectrum light quality on the interaction between the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker and Couch and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings and hypocotyl cuttings cultured in vitro. The light sources were cool white (CW), warm white (WW) and red-rich daylight (RD) fluorescent lamps. Inoculation with P. tinctorius enhanced adventitious root formation of the cuttings in all light treatments. Rooting of the inoculated cuttings was highest in WW light (89%), followed by CW (73%) and RD light (66%). During 6 weeks of in vitro culture, rooted cuttings formed only a few lateral roots. The fungus grew over lateral roots, but the Hartig net was absent in all light treatments. In non-inoculated cuttings, neither root formation nor subsequent root growth was affected by light quality. In the seedling experiment, inoculation in the WW treatment resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) greater number of lateral roots than inoculation in the RD treatment. The percentage of lateral roots covered with fungal hyphae was also highest in WW light (62%), followed by CW (50%) and RD (27%) light. A similar pattern was observed in the intensity of Hartig net formation. We conclude that effects of broad-spectrum light quality on the ectomycorrhizal fungus-root interaction are dependent on the developmental stage of the root.     

Über einen Zusammenbruch der Gelbhalsmauspopulation im Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald

Zusammenfassung Der Energiesto? eines guten Samenjahres der Fichte im Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald bewirkte bei M?usen im Frühjahr 1972 zun?chst eine starke Zunahme der Gelbhalsmaus. Nach dem Zusammenbruch dieser Population unter Stresserscheinungen, hervorgerufen durch Nahrungsverknappung und überbev?lkerung, trat im Herbst die R?telmaus st?rker in Erscheinung, die insbesondere an Laubh?lzern im Winter 1972/73 deutliche Spuren hinterlie?. Im Frühjahr 1973 dominierte nach einem schneereichen Winter bei sehr geringer Dichte die Erdmaus. Untersuchungen über die Nahrungswahl, Energie- reserven, Reproduktionsrate und Stresserscheinungen zeigten, da? die Populationsentwicklung der Gelbhalsmaus vorwiegend durch das Nahrungsangebot gesteuert wurde. Die Bev?lkerungsentwicklung der R?telmaus erschien dagegen von der Gelbhalsmaus negativ beeinflu?t oder durch nicht aufgedeckte endogene Faktoren geregelt. Es ergaben sich hier keine Hinweise für das Vorhandensein von Stressoren in der entscheidenden Vermehrungspause bis zum August 1972. Eine starke Zunahme der Adrenal- gewichte wurde erst im November bei h?chster Dichte und dem Einsetzen des Winters beobachtet.

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Summary Studies about a turnover of a Field-Mouse-population in the Bavarian National Park. In 1972 and 73 research work was carried out about population dynamics of the three most commonly species of rodents in the Bavarian National Park near the czech border: The Yellownecked Field Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis L.), the Bank Vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) and the Common Vole (Microtus agrestis L.). A great amount of spruce- seeds seemed to be most important for increased numbers of the Field Mouse trapped in the spring 1972 on all five localities (A, B, C, D and E) which were observed (Abb. 1). After the crash of this population in August 1972 by good weather conditions (Abb. 2) numbers of the Bank Vole were increased and this species was now most numerous in all localities (Abb. 1). In June 1973 the lowest density of all species was observed and the Common Vole dominated. This latter fact may be related to the high snow-cover until May 1973. Studies about ingested food-stuffs, body-fat content (Tab. 1) reproduction-rate (Abb. 3) and signs of stress (Abb. 4) showed, that the crash of the Field Mouse was caused primarly by detioration of food coupled with crowding effects. The population dynamics of the Bank Vole seemed interfered by the Field Mouse. No signs of stress were however detected during the recess of reproduction until August 1972 when the Field Mouse was dominating.

     

Moisture content penetration in wood elements under varying boundary conditions

Knowledge of effects of moisture exposure on timber structures is important for serviceability and load bearing capacity of timber elements and systems. Varying climate affects the moisture content profiles in timber as the relative humidity changes in the ambient air. This paper presents methods for calculation of diffusion based moisture transport and corresponding results on how timber responds to varying moisture with regard to moisture penetration and distribution. The calculations are based on measured outdoor relative humidity and temperature at different climatic locations in Sweden. No remarkably large deviations between the different climatic locations were found in general, which is positive in a design code perspective.