Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary Effects
Trees growing in urban areas face increasing stress from atmospheric pollutants, with limited attention given to the early responses of young seedlings. This study aimed to address the knowledge gap regarding the effects of simulated pollutant exposure, specifically particulate matter (PM), elevated...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Valentinas Černiauskas Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė Ieva Čėsnienė Emilis Armoška Valda Araminienė |
| author_facet | Valentinas Černiauskas Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė Ieva Čėsnienė Emilis Armoška Valda Araminienė |
| author_sort | Valentinas Černiauskas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Trees growing in urban areas face increasing stress from atmospheric pollutants, with limited attention given to the early responses of young seedlings. This study aimed to address the knowledge gap regarding the effects of simulated pollutant exposure, specifically particulate matter (PM), elevated ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) concentrations, on young seedlings of five tree species: Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.); Norway spruce (<i>Picea abies</i> (L.) H.Karst.); silver birch (<i>Betula pendula</i> Roth); small-leaved lime (<i>Tilia cordata</i> Mill.); and Norway maple (<i>Acer platanoides</i> L.). The main objectives of this paper were to evaluate the seedling stem growth response and the biochemical response of seedling foliage to pollutant exposure. Four treatments were performed on two- to three-year-old seedlings of the selected tree species: with PM (0.4 g per seedling) under combined O<sub>3</sub> = 180 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> = 650 ppm; without PM under combined O<sub>3</sub> = 180 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> = 650 ppm; with PM (0.4 g per seedling) under combined O<sub>3</sub> < 40–45 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> < 400 ppm; and without PM under combined O<sub>3</sub> < 40–45 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> < 400 ppm. Scots pine and Norway maple showed no changes in growth (stem height and diameter) and biochemical parameters (photosynthetic pigments, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and total soluble sugars (TSS)), indicating a neutral response to the combined PM, O<sub>3</sub>, and CO<sub>2</sub> treatment. The chlorophyll response to PM alone and in combination with elevated O<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> exposure varied, with silver birch increasing, Norway maple—neutral to increasing, Scots pine—neutral to decreasing, and Norway spruce and small-leaved lime—decreasing. The TPC indicated stress responses in Scots pine, small-leaved lime, and Norway maple under increased combined O<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> and in Norway spruce under single PM treatment. Hence, Scots pine and Norway maple seedlings showed greater resistance to increased PM under combined O<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> with minimal change in growth, while silver birch seedlings showed adaptation potential with increasing chlorophyll under simulated pollutant stress. |
| format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj-art-755b5447fa6f4d5098f06315ddafcd942025-01-10T13:19:28ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-12-01141610.3390/plants14010006Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary EffectsValentinas Černiauskas0Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė1Ieva Čėsnienė2Emilis Armoška3Valda Araminienė4Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų 1, Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas, LithuaniaInstitute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų 1, Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas, LithuaniaInstitute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų 1, Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas, LithuaniaInstitute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų 1, Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas, LithuaniaInstitute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų 1, Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas, LithuaniaTrees growing in urban areas face increasing stress from atmospheric pollutants, with limited attention given to the early responses of young seedlings. This study aimed to address the knowledge gap regarding the effects of simulated pollutant exposure, specifically particulate matter (PM), elevated ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) concentrations, on young seedlings of five tree species: Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.); Norway spruce (<i>Picea abies</i> (L.) H.Karst.); silver birch (<i>Betula pendula</i> Roth); small-leaved lime (<i>Tilia cordata</i> Mill.); and Norway maple (<i>Acer platanoides</i> L.). The main objectives of this paper were to evaluate the seedling stem growth response and the biochemical response of seedling foliage to pollutant exposure. Four treatments were performed on two- to three-year-old seedlings of the selected tree species: with PM (0.4 g per seedling) under combined O<sub>3</sub> = 180 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> = 650 ppm; without PM under combined O<sub>3</sub> = 180 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> = 650 ppm; with PM (0.4 g per seedling) under combined O<sub>3</sub> < 40–45 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> < 400 ppm; and without PM under combined O<sub>3</sub> < 40–45 ppb + CO<sub>2</sub> < 400 ppm. Scots pine and Norway maple showed no changes in growth (stem height and diameter) and biochemical parameters (photosynthetic pigments, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and total soluble sugars (TSS)), indicating a neutral response to the combined PM, O<sub>3</sub>, and CO<sub>2</sub> treatment. The chlorophyll response to PM alone and in combination with elevated O<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> exposure varied, with silver birch increasing, Norway maple—neutral to increasing, Scots pine—neutral to decreasing, and Norway spruce and small-leaved lime—decreasing. The TPC indicated stress responses in Scots pine, small-leaved lime, and Norway maple under increased combined O<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> and in Norway spruce under single PM treatment. Hence, Scots pine and Norway maple seedlings showed greater resistance to increased PM under combined O<sub>3</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> with minimal change in growth, while silver birch seedlings showed adaptation potential with increasing chlorophyll under simulated pollutant stress.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/1/6tree seedlingssimulation experimenturban environmentair pollutionCO<sub>2</sub> |
| spellingShingle | Valentinas Černiauskas Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė Ieva Čėsnienė Emilis Armoška Valda Araminienė Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary Effects Plants tree seedlings simulation experiment urban environment air pollution CO<sub>2</sub> |
| title | Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary Effects |
| title_full | Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary Effects |
| title_fullStr | Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary Effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary Effects |
| title_short | Response of Tree Seedlings to a Combined Treatment of Particulate Matter, Ground-Level Ozone, and Carbon Dioxide: Primary Effects |
| title_sort | response of tree seedlings to a combined treatment of particulate matter ground level ozone and carbon dioxide primary effects |
| topic | tree seedlings simulation experiment urban environment air pollution CO<sub>2</sub> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/1/6 |
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