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- Author or Editor: William R. Graves x
Root hydraulic conductance is often expressed on the basis of dry weight or surface area of leaves or roots of plants produced in solution or aggregate culture. In this study, biomass partitioning and its influence on the interpretation of root hydraulic conductance data were compared in 21- to 63-day-old Gleditsia triacanthos inermis Willd. (honey locust) seedlings grown in solution and sand cultures. The ratio of lamina to root dry weight decreased as seedlings aged but was always greater for solution-grown plants than for sand-grown plants. Expressed on the basis of root dry weight, steady-state water fluxes at applied pressures ≥ 0.28 MPa and hydraulic conductivity coefficients declined with root system age, with a sharp decrease among solution-grown plants between ages 21 and 35 days. Such a difference was not detected using data expressed on lamina surface area or dry weight, illustrating that caution must be exercised when reporting and comparing the conductance of roots cultured in different media.
Growth, dry-matter partitioning, and specific mass of lamina of black maple (Acer nigrum Michx.f.) and sugar maple (A. saccharum Marsh.) irrigated at 10-, 26-, and 42-day intervals were compared. Total dry mass, stem length, and surface area of lamina were greater for sugar maple than for black maple for plants irrigated every 10 days. Reducing irrigation frequency curtailed growth of both species, but the reduction was greater for sugar maple than for black maple. The shoot: root ratio was lower for black maple than for sugar maple and was reduced by drought in both species, particularly among plants irrigated every 26 days. Specific mass of lamina increased as plants aged, was greater for black maple than for sugar maple, and decreased in response to irrigation at 42-day intervals. The slower growth, lower shoot: root ratio, and greater specific mass of lamina of black maple indicate this species has a greater capacity to withstand drought than sugar maple.
Differences in native habitat and leaf morphological traits have prompted speculation that black maple (Acer nigrum Michx.f.) is more drought resistant than sugar maple (A. saccharum Marsh.). In this study, growth of potted seedlings of the two species irrigated at 10-, 26-, or 42-day intervals was compared. For plants irrigated most frequently, dry mass, shoot: root ratio, stem length, and surface area of lamina were greater for sugar maple than black maple. The impact of drought was more pronounced in sugar maple than in black maple, causing reductions in stem length of ≈ 60% in sugar maple and ≈ 30% in black maple. Specific mass of lamina tended to be greater for black maple than sugar maple, particularly after drought, and it increased over time in both species. The slower growth, lower shoot: root ratio, and greater specific mass of lamina of black maple indicate. it is more drought resistant than sugar maple.
Numerous genera of plants are distributed in both eastern North America and in portions of California with the dry summers of Mediterranean climates. We compared effects of flooding and drought on relative growth rate (RGR), photosynthesis, and biomass of seedlings of two genera, Sambucus L. and Ptelea L., with congeners in both regions. Ptelea crenulata Greene and Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea (Raf.) R. Bolli from the San Francisco Bay area and Ptelea trifoliata L. and Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis (L.) R. Bolli from mesic, deciduous forests in eastern North America were studied. Potted seedlings were subjected to six treatments, three extents of root-zone inundation and three severities of drought (irrigation when soil moisture by volume decreased to 5%, 10%, and 20%). After 5 weeks, deleterious effects of inundation were more pronounced among plants from the West than among their eastern congeners. For example, RGR of western and eastern Sambucus with completely inundated root zones was reduced 116% and 25%, respectively. All western and eastern Ptelea died when root zones were completely inundated, but inundating the lower half of the root zone killed all western plants but only reduced RGR among eastern plants. Photosynthesis of Sambucus from the West was lowest with complete inundation and was similar across the remaining treatments. In contrast, photosynthesis of eastern Sambucus was lowest during severe drought but otherwise similar. Photosynthesis of Ptelea was sensitive to both drought and flooding, and moderate root-zone water content led to the highest rates for both western and eastern plants. For both genera, maximal photosynthesis per unit leaf area was greater among western than eastern plants, but eastern plants had greater total leaf area and biomass. Root-to-shoot ratios of western Sambucus were greater than ratios of plants from the East after all treatments, whereas western Ptelea had greater root-to-shoot ratios than eastern Ptelea only under severe drought. Although comparative sensitivity to drought of plants from California and eastern North America varied in these genera, Mediterranean Sambucus and Ptelea both showed greater sensitivity to root-zone inundation than did their eastern congeners.
Shrubs in the genus Dirca are rarely used in landscaping despite their shade tolerance and aesthetic qualities. A trial of 81 plants, 27 of each of three species, was established in 2007 in USDA hardiness zone 5a to evaluate survival and growth. After four winters, survival of Dirca mexicana (89%) was greater than survival of Dirca palustris from Florida (44%) and Dirca occidentalis (41%). Survival of Dirca palustris from Ontario, Canada, was intermediate (56%), but annual stem extension was only 60% that of Dirca mexicana and Dirca palustris from Florida. Surviving plants of Dirca mexicana and Dirca palustris from Ontario showed minimal winter injury, but tips of some stems of Dirca palustris from Florida and Dirca occidentalis were killed. Our data on survival, winter injury, plant health, and stem extension of the California-endemic Dirca occidentalis suggest it will be especially challenging to identify genotypes adapted for use in the Upper Midwest. In contrast, we conclude that another narrowly endemic species, Dirca mexicana, has potential as a new shrub for horticulture. Additionally, our results provide evidence for variation in cold-hardiness and annual stem extension of Dirca palustris. Although over half of plants from Florida had died after the first two winters, no additional mortality occurred over remaining years, and survivors were more vigorous than plants from Ontario. This suggests that exploitable variation in cold-hardiness and vigor exists among and within populations of this broadly distributed species.
Air temperature and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) effects on relative water content (RWC), rooting percentage, root count, and root mass of unmisted, subirrigated stem cuttings of two taxa were determined. Leaf RWC of `Charm' chrysanthemum [Dendranthema ×grandiflorum (Ramat.) Kitamura] decreased until roots initiated and then increased, was lower for cuttings at 23 °C photoperiod/14 °C dark than for cuttings at 31 °C photoperiod/22 °C dark, and was lower at 193 than at 69 μmol·m–2·s–1 PAR. Neither temperature nor PAR affected leaf RWC of `Dollar Princess' fuchsia (Fuchsia ×hybrida Hort. ex Vilm.), which increased linearly before and after root initiation. Rooting percentage and root count were higher with photoperiods at 31 °C than at 23 °C for chrysanthemum after 7 days and for fuchsia after 10 days. Although all cuttings of both taxa had rooted after 14 days, root dry mass was higher with photoperiods at 31 °C than at 23 °C regardless of PAR for fuchsia and at 69 μmol·m–2·s–1 PAR for chrysanthemum. Propagators wishing to use subirrigation instead of mist, fog, or enclosure can minimize the decline in leaf RWC before root initiation and increase the number and dry mass of roots of chrysanthemum by using 69 μmol·m–2·s–1 PAR and a 31 °C photoperiod/22 °C dark cycle. Root dry mass of fuchsia also can be increased by the use of high temperature, but differences in rooting were independent of changes in leaf RWC.
Differences in foliar morphology and anatomy of hard maples (Acer saccharum Marsh. and Acer nigrum Michx. f.) may explain contrasting responses to moisture stress of these species. We conducted a 2-year study to examine leaf morphology and anatomy of populations of hard maples indigenous near the 43°N latitude from 94°W longitude in Iowa to the 71°W longitude in Maine. Leaves were collected from shoots exposed to direct solar radiation on multiple trees at each of 24 sites in 1995, and at 36 sites in 1996. Samples collected in 1995 showed stomate frequency on the abaxial leaf surface ranged from 380 to 760 stomata/mm2. Mean guard cell pair width and length were 16 and 17 μm, respectively. Stomate frequency related quadratically to longitude, was greatest for leaves from Iowa, and was negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation of the sample site. Leaf thickness did not vary with longitude and averaged 96 μm. Palisade thickness showed a greater correlation than mesophyll thickness to total leaf thickness. Mesophyll thickness was more highly correlated than palisade thickness to specific leaf mass, which did not vary with longitude and averaged 5.2 mg·cm–2. Analysis of leaves collected over both years showed trichome frequency and lamina area were related quadratically to longitude; the largest and most pubescent laminae were from westerly sites. These studies are being coordinated with greenhouse experiments on responses of seedlings from selected populations to moisture deficits.
Amur maackia (Maackia amurensis Rupr. & Maxim.) has potential for use in small, urban, or cold landscapes. Although Amur maackia is becoming increasingly popular, plants are currently grown from open-pollinated seed populations, and there has been no selection of cultivars. We have addressed the effects of climate on growth and have begun field trials for selection of horticulturally superior genotypes. In May 1995, a field trial near Ames was begun with 337 plants. These were selected from more than 2000 greenhouse-grown seedlings to represent 32 half-sibling seed groups from 16 arboreta across North America. After two growing seasons, the increase in stem length among seed groups ranged from 3% to 75%. Survival rate did not vary with seed group. In a related study, 30 plants from six half-sibling groups have been established at each of 10 sites in the U.S. and four in Canada to assess effects of location on survival and growth. The influence of seed group on survival after 1 year varied with the trial site location. Survival among combinations of half-sibling group and trial location ranged from 0% to 100% (mean = 54%). Half-sibling group and trial location affected growth without interaction. The greatest growth across locations, an 83% increase in stem length, was shown by seeds that originated from a tree at the Arnold Arboretum. At the 14 locations, changes in stem length over half-sibling groups varied from <0% in Ithaca, N.Y., to 179% in Puyallup, Wash.
Growth of honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis Willd.) seedlings was studied during exposure to reduced osmotic potential (ψπ) and high temperature in the root zone. Half-sib plants were cultured in solution. Root-zone temperature was increased from ambient (23C) to 35C for 0, 6, 12, or 24 hours·day -l. Within each temperature treatment, solution ψπ of -0.05, – 0.10, and – 0.20 MPa were maintained by additions of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000. Root and shoot dry weights decreased with increasing exposure to 35C among seedlings in -0.05-MPa solution and decreased for seedlings in - 0.10- and - 0.20-MPa solutions in all temperature regimes. Growth of epicotyls displayed similar trends, but epicotyls of plants in -0.20-MPa solution were longest with 6 hours·day-l at 35C. Significant interactions between effects of temperature and osmotic regimes indicated that water-stressed honey locust seedlings are relatively insensitive to elevated root-zone temperatures. However, related studies showed that PEG caused reductions in growth that could not be explained by decreases in ψπ and suggested that responses of honey locust to PEG differed from those when drought was imposed by withholding irrigation in an aggregate medium.
Alnus maritima [Marsh.] Nutt. (seaside alder) is a rare species that occurs naturally only on soils that are frequently or constantly saturated with fresh water. The objective of our first experiment was to determine effects of drought and flooding treatments of differing severity on foliar gas exchange, water relations, and development of plants grown in containers in a greenhouse. In a second experiment we examined how the rate of water loss from soil during drought episodes affected the gas exchange and survival of leaves. In the first experiment, changes in soil moisture content, which ranged from saturation to 10% or less by volume across treatments, were associated with altered stem water potential and net photosynthesis. Analysis of the osmolarity of liquid extracted from leaves indicated that osmotic adjustment did not occur in response to drought. Shoot dry weight per plant ranged from over 7 g (only the lower portion of the soil profile kept saturated) to less than 3 g (entire soil profile constantly saturated). Episodes of drought of different severity led to plants with shoots that weighed between these two extremes, and exposure to soils with 10% water or less by volume did not elicit leaf desiccation or abscission. Results of the second experiment suggest that leaf desiccation can result from exposing plants to 10% water or less by volume if the drought develops rapidly in a small volume of soil. We conclude that, despite the niche it occupies in nature, seaside alder may have the potential to be used in managed landscapes with soils that vary in moisture content.