Abstract
Acid rain causes damages to forest ecosystems. Here, we reported that acid rain could promote plant growth. From 2006 to 2009, one-year-old Elaeocarpus glabripetalus seedlings were sprayed with simulated acid rain (AR) (pH 2.5, 4.0, and 5.6). The maximum quantum yield efficiency of PSII and the actual photochemical quantum efficiency of PSII increased with rising AR acidity, which facilitated chlorophyll fluorescence and plant growth, as shown by a declining minimal fluorescence yield of dark-adapted state with little damage to the PSII reaction center. After the second experimental year, the plant height and ground diameter were greater at pH 2.5 than those found at pH 4.0 and 5.6. This showed the positive effects of AR on the seedling growth and photosynthesis of E. glabripetalus, revealing that this species exhibited a stronger resistance to acid deposition than some other tree species. This implies that E. glabripetalus is an acid-tolerant species.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- Chl:
-
chlorophyll
- D:
-
ground diameter
- Fm :
-
maximal fluorescence yield in the dark-adapted state
- Fm′:
-
maximal fluorescence yield in the light-adapted state
- Fs :
-
steady-state fluorescence yield
- Fv/Fm :
-
maximal photochemical quantum efficiency of PSII
- F0 :
-
minimal fluorescence yield in the dark-adapted state
- F0′:
-
minimal fluorescence yield in the light-adapted state
- H:
-
plant height
- qN :
-
nonphotochemical quenching coefficient
- AR:
-
simulated acid rain
- ΦPSII :
-
actual photochemical quantum efficiency of PSII
References
Abbasi T., Poornima P., Kannadasan T. et al.: Acid rain: past, present, and future. — Int. J. Environ. Eng. 5: 229–272, 2013.
Bolhar-Nordenkampf H.R., Long S.P., Baker N.R. et al.: Chlorophyll fluorescence as a probe of the photosynthetic competence of leaves in the field: a review of current instrumentation. — Funct. Ecol. 3: 497–514, 1989.
Ceron R.M., Ceron J.G., Guerra J.J. et al.: Effects of simulated acid rain on tropical trees of the coastal zone of Campeche, Mexico. — WIT Trans. Ecol. Envir. 126: 259–270, 2009.
Dias B.B., Leite M.L., Farago P.V. et al.: Sulfur effect by simulated acid rain on morphophysiological parameters of the bean plant. — Acta Sci.-Agron. 32: 433–439, 2010.
Fan H.B, Wang Y.H.: Effects of simulated acid rain on germination, foliar damage, chlorophyll contents and seedling growth of five hardwood species growing in China. — Forest Ecol. Manag. 126: 321–329, 2000.
Feng Z.W.: [Impacts and control strategies of acid deposition on terrestrial ecosystems in China.] — Eng. Sci. 9: 5–11, 2000. [In Chinese]
Figueroa M.E., Fernández-Baco L., Luque T. et al.: Chlorophyll fluorescence, stress and survival in populations of Mediterranean grassland species. — J. Veg. Sci. 8: 881–888, 1997.
Fleischer W.E.: The relation between chlorophyll content and rate of photosynthesis. — J. Gen. Physiol. 18: 573–597, 1935.
Genty B., Briantais J.M., Baker N.R.: The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. — Biochem. Biophys. Acta 990: 87–92, 1989.
Guo D.P., Guo Y.P., Zhao J.P. et al.: Photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll fluorescence in leaves of stem mustard (Brassica juncea var. tsatsai) after turnip mosaic virus infection. — Plant Sci. 168: 57–63, 2005.
Guo Y.P., Zhou H.F., Zhang L.C.: Photosynthetic characteristics and protective mechanisms against photooxidation during high temperature stress in two citrus species. — Sci. Hortic.-Amsterdam 108: 260–267, 2006.
Kumagai E., Araki T., Kubota F.: Correlation of chlorophyll meter readings with gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence in flag leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants. — Plant Prod. Sci. 12: 50–53, 2009.
Larssen T., Carmichael G.R.: Acid rain and acidification in China: the importance of base cation deposition. — Environ. Pollut. 110: 89–102, 2000.
Larssen T., Lydersen E., Tang D.G. et al.: Acid rain in China. — Environ. Sci. Technol. 40: 418–425, 2006.
Liu J.X., Zhou G.Y., Yang C.W. et al.: Responses of chlorophyll fluorescence and xanthophyll cycle in leaves of Schima superba Gardn. & Champ. and Pinus massoniana Lamb. to simulated acid rain at Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, China. — Acta Physiol. Plant. 29: 33–38, 2007.
Liu T.W., Wu F.H., Wang W H. et al.: Effects of calcium on seed germination, seedling growth and photosynthesis of six forest tree species under simulated acid rain. — Tree Physiol. 31: 402–413, 2011.
Ma Y.: Effects of simulated acid rain on Cryptomeria fortunei of Tianmu Mountain. — Master’s Thesis, East China Normal University, Shanghai 2007.
Maxwell K., Johnson, G.: Chlorophyll fluorescence-a practical guide. — J. Exp. Bot. 51: 659–668, 2000.
Menz F.C., Seip H.M.: Acid rain in Europe and the United States: an update. — Environ. Sci. Policy 7: 253–265, 2004.
Morrissey J., Guerinot M.L.: Iron uptake and transport in plants: the good, the bad, and the ionome. — Chem. Rev. 109: 4553–4567, 2009.
Neves N.R., Oliva M.A., Centeno D.C. et al.: Photosynthesis and oxidative stress in the restinga plant species Eugenia uniflora L. exposed to simulated acid rain and iron ore dust deposition: potential use in environmental risk assessment. — Sci. Total Environ. 407: 3740–3745, 2009.
Pan W.H., Zhao Y.P., Wu J.S. et al.: [Analysis on the nutrient elements in litters of different forest vegetations and soil fertility.] — J. Anhui Agri. Sci. 39: 5828–5829, 2011. [In Chinese]
Qin L.Q., Li L., Bi C. et al.: Damaging mechanisms of chilling and salt stress to Arachis hypogaea L. leaves. — Photosynthetica 49: 37–42, 2011.
Sheng M., Tang M., Chen H. et al.: Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae on photosynthesis and water status of maize plants under salt stress. — Mycorrhiza 18: 287–296, 2008.
Singh A., Agrawal M.: Acid rain and its ecological consequences. — J. Environ. Biol. 29: 15–24, 2008.
Stuart N.W.: Adaption of the micro-Kjeldahl method for the determination of nitrogen in plant tissues. — Plant Physiol. 11: 173–179, 1936.
van Hoorn J.W., Katerji N., Hamdy A. et al.: Effect of salinity on yield and nitrogen uptake of four grain legumes and on biological nitrogen contribution from the soil. — Agr. Water Manage. 51: 87–98, 2001.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Acknowledgements: The authors thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions. This study is supported by Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Y5110226, Y3110200) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31100325). The authors are grateful to Prof. P. Lovell for her helpful comments on manuscript writing.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, M.H., Yi, L.T., Yu, S.Q. et al. Chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and the growth response of Elaeocarpus glabripetalus to simulated acid rain. Photosynthetica 53, 23–28 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0071-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0071-z