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Epidermal UV-screening in vascular plants from Svalbard (Norwegian Arctic)

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Abstract

Stratospheric ozone depletion is most pronounced at high latitudes, and the concurring increased UV-B radiation might adversely affect plants from polar areas. However, vascular plants may protect themselves against UV-B radiation by UV-absorbing compounds located in the epidermis. In this 3-year study, epidermal UV-B (λmax 314 nm) and UV-A (λmax 366 nm) screening was assessed using a fluorescence method in 12 vascular species growing in their natural environment at Svalbard. The potential for acclimation to increased radiation was studied with artificially increased UV-B, simulating 11% ozone depletion. Open-top chambers simulated an increase in temperature of 2–3°C in addition to the UV-B manipulation. Adaxial epidermal UV-B transmittance varied between 1.6 and 11.4%. Artificially increased UV-B radiation and temperature did not consistently influence the epidermal UV-B transmittance in any of the measured species, suggesting that they may not have the potential to increase their epidermal screening, or that the screening is already high enough at the applied UV-B level. We propose that environmental factors other than UV-B radiation may influence epidermal UV-B screening.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Sigmund Spjelkavik for help with locating some of the plant species, Ørjan Totland for his support on statistical problems, and Yngvar Gauslaa and Maria McEvoy for critical reading of the manuscript. The Norwegian Research Council, Division for Environment and Development, as part of the programme Arctic Light and Heat, supported this work financially.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Agricultural University of Norway, Box 5003, 1432 , Ås, Norway

    Line Nybakken & Wolfgang Bilger

  2. Botanisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, Olshausenstr. 40, 24098 , Kiel, Germany

    Wolfgang Bilger

  3. Department of Cell and Organism Biology, Lund University, 223 62 , Lund, Sweden

    Ulf Johanson & Lars Olof Björn

  4. Department of Biology, University of Tromsø, 9037 , Tromsø, Norway

    Mathias Zielke & Bjørn Solheim

  5. The University Courses on Svalbard, 9171 , Longyearbyen, Norway

    Mathias Zielke

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  1. Line Nybakken
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  2. Wolfgang Bilger
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  3. Ulf Johanson
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  4. Lars Olof Björn
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Correspondence to Line Nybakken.

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Nybakken, L., Bilger, W., Johanson, U. et al. Epidermal UV-screening in vascular plants from Svalbard (Norwegian Arctic). Polar Biol 27, 383–390 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0602-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0602-8

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