Ambient ozone effects on gas exchange and total non-structural carbohydrate levels in cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.) growing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Neufeld HS, Peoples SJ, Davison AW, Chappelka AH, Somers GL, Thomley JE, Booker FL. 2012. Ambient ozone effects on gas exchange and total non-structural carbohydrate levels in cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.) growing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Environmental Pollution. 160:74-81
Ozone-sensitive and -tolerant individuals of cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.) were compared for their gas exchange characteristics and total non-structural carbohydrates at Purchase Knob, a high elevation site in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance decreased with increased foliar stipple. Sensitive plants had lower photosynthetic rates for all leaves, except the very youngest and oldest when compared to tolerant plants. Stomatal conductance decreased with increasing leaf age, but no ozone-sensitivity differences were found. Lower leaves had less starch than upper ones, while leaves on sensitive plants had less than those on tolerant plants. These results show that ambient levels of ozone in Great SmokyMountains National Park can adversely affect gas exchange, water use efficiency and leaf starch content in sensitive coneflower plants. Persistence of sensitive genotypes in the Park may be due to physiological recovery in low ozone years.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Neufeld, Howard; Peoples, Seth; Davison, Alan; Chappelka, Arthur; Somers, Greg; Thomley, Jill; Booker, Fitzgerald
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, cut-leaved coneflower, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-00030, Ozone, Photosynthesis, Purchase Knob, SER, Southeast Region, stomatal conductance, total non-structural carbohydrates, water use efficiency
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Air and Climate | Air Quality | Ozone