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Studies on the tolerance to SO 2 of grass populations in polluted areas
Author(s) -
Taylor H. J.,
Bell J. N. B.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1988.tb00269.x
Subject(s) - lolium perenne , fumigation , dactylis glomerata , cultivar , population , biology , lolium , agronomy , botany , perennial plant , horticulture , poaceae , medicine , environmental health
SUMMARY Grass populations were collected from two sites, Philips Park and Rainham, with different pollution characteristics. They were screened for acute and chronic air pollution injury caused by nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and by sulphur dioxide(SO 2 ) in combination with NO 2 in comparison with bred cultivars of the same species grown at a clean air site. No evidence of tolerance of acute NO 2 or NO 2 /SO 2 , injury was found at Philips Park. A Dactylis glomerata L. population from Rainham showed tolerance to both types of injury. There was also some evidence to suggest that there was a relationship between NO 2 and NO 2 /SO 2 tolerance. Chronic NO 2 fumigation of Lolium perenne L. was shown to have apparently beneficial effects such as increased growth, increased chlorophyll content and reduced rate of senescence. The Rainham population of this species appears to have a requirement for low concentrations of NO, in the atmosphere. There was an indication that plants which were most tolerant of acute doses of NO 2 were those which most benefited from low concentrations of NO 2 L. perenne and D. glomerata were adversely affected by chronic exposure to a mixture of NO 2 and SO 2 The Rainham populations of both species were more tolerant of the mixture than bred cultivars. Chronic NO 2 /SO 2 injury was found to be more severe when soil nitrogen was high.