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EFFECTS OF SIMULATED ACID RAIN ON PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L. (FABACEAE)
Author(s) -
Ferenbaugh Roger W.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1976.tb11813.x
Subject(s) - phaseolus , biology , fabaceae , photosynthesis , starch , abscission , botany , chloroplast , biomass (ecology) , respiration , budding , horticulture , acid rain , agronomy , food science , biochemistry , ecology , gene
Experiments were performed to determine the effects of simulated acid rain on Phaseolus vulgaris L. At p H values below 3, plants exhibited a failure to attain normal height, had necrotic and wrinkled leaves, excessive and adventitious budding, and premature abscission of primary leaves. Histologically, leaves had smaller cells, less intercellular space, and smaller starch granules within the chloroplasts. Respiration rates of the treated plants increased only slightly at low p H values. Apparent rates of photosynthesis, however, increased dramatically. Both carbohydrate production and root biomass were reduced by low p H treatments, and application of Congo red indicator to the acid‐treated leaf tissue showed that the cell contents were acidified to a p H of below 4.0.