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Basic mechanisms of pigment bleaching and loss of structural resistance in spruce (Picea abies) needles: advances in phytomedical diagnostics

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  • ‘Waldsterben’: Our Dying Forests—Part II
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Summary

Preliminary phytochemical diagnostic data in addition to scanning electron microscopy in spruce (Picea abies) needles from 18 different locations in Upper Bavaria support the following hypothesis: both physiological changes in the photosynthesizing cells and structural changes on the needle surfaces (loss of integrity of the wax layer over the stomatal cavities) are the result of the interaction of biomolecules with photooxidants. Damaged needles lose their resistance towards fungal invaders which finally cause necrotisation and abscission of the needles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Botanik und Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, Arcisstrasse 21, D-8000, München 2, Federal Republic of Germany

    E. F. Elstner, W. Osswald & R. J. Youngman

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  1. E. F. Elstner
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  2. W. Osswald
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  3. R. J. Youngman
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Elstner, E.F., Osswald, W. & Youngman, R.J. Basic mechanisms of pigment bleaching and loss of structural resistance in spruce (Picea abies) needles: advances in phytomedical diagnostics. Experientia 41, 591–597 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02007676

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