Effects of simulated acid rain on the growth, nutrition, foliar pigments and photosynthetic rates of sugar maple and white spruce seedlings

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 1995-08, Vol.83 (3-4), p.219-236
• Main Authors: DIXON, M. J, KUJA, A. L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acer saccharum; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Non agrochemicals pollutants; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Picea glauca; Pollution effects and side effects of agrochemicals on crop plants and forest trees. Other anthropogenic factors; Pollution effects. Side effects of agrochemicals
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00477354

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings were exposed to simulated acid rain (SAR) of pH 3.2, 4.3 and 5.6 for two and one-half growing seasons. Ambient rain was excluded from the treatment plots by mobile rain exclusion canopies. Sugar maple seedlings treated with pH 3.2 SAR had significantly higher foliar concentrations of nitrogen, sulphur and manganese, compared to either the pH 4.3 or 5.6 treated seedlings. The pH 3.2 treated seedlings also tended to have greater growth and photosynthetic rates compared to the pH 4.3 and 5.6 treated seedlings. In contrast, the pH 3.2 treated white spruce seedlings tended to have decreased growth and lower foliar potassium concentrations relative to the pH 4.3 and 5.6 treated seedlings. Statistically there were no significant treatment differences in seedling height, seedling diameter, foliar pigments, or photosynthetic rates in either the sugar maple or white spruce seedlings.