Effects of Elevated Ozone on Stoichiometry and Nutrient Pools of Phoebe Bournei (Hemsl.) Yang and Phoebe Zhennan S. Lee et F. N. Wei Seedlings in Subtropical China

Allocation of Nutrients and Leaf Turnover Rate in Poplar under Ambient and Enriched Ozone Exposure and Soil Nutrient Manipulation

An excess of ozone (O3) is currently stressing plant ecosystems and may negatively affect the nutrient use of plants. Plants may modify leaf turnover rates and nutrient allocation at the organ level to counteract O3 damage. We investigated leaf turnover rate and allocation of primary (C, N, P, K) and secondary macronutrients (Ca, S, Mg) under various O3 treatments (ambient concentration, AA, with a daily hourly average of 35 ppb; 1.5 × AA; 2.0 × AA) and fertilization levels (N: 0 and 80 kg N ha-1 y-1; P: 0 and 80 kg N ha-1 y-1) in an O3-sensitive poplar clone (Oxford: Populus maximowiczii Henry × P. berolinensis Dippel) in a Free-Air Controlled Exposure (FACE) experiment. The results indicated that both fertilization and O3 had a significant impact on the nutrient content. Specifically, fertilization and O3 increased foliar C and N contents (+5.8% and +34.2%, respectively) and root Ca and Mg contents (+46.3% and +70.2%, respectively). Plants are known to increase the content of certain elements to mitigate the damage caused by high levels of O3. The leaf turnover rate was accelerated as a result of increased O3 exposure, indicating that O3 plays a main role in influencing this physiological parameter. A PCA result showed that O3 fumigation affected the overall allocation of primary and secondary elements depending on the organ (leaves, stems, roots). As a conclusion, such different patterns of element allocation in plant leaves in response to elevated O3 levels can have significant ecological implications.

Effects of elevated ozone on the uptake and allocation of macronutrients in poplar saplings above- and belowground

Ground-level ozone (O₃) is a secondary air pollutant and affects the roots and soil processes of trees. Therefore, O₃ can affect the uptake and allocation of nutrients in trees, which merits further clarification. A fumigation experiment with five O₃ levels was conducted in 15 open top chambers for two poplar clones, and the concentrations of six macronutrients (N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg) in different organs and leaf positions were determined. Under all O₃ levels, the concentration of mobile nutrients (N and P) was higher in upper leaves than in lower leaves, while the non-mobile nutrients (Ca and S) concentration was the opposite. Relative to charcoal filtered ambient air (CF), high O₃ treatment (NF60) significantly increased the concentration of mobile nutrients K and Mg in upper leaves by 38 % and 33 %, in lower leaves by 142 % and 65 %, respectively, which suggested the effect of O₃ on their concentrations was greater at the lower leaf position than at the upper leaf position. Elevated O₃ significantly increased the macronutrient concentrations in most organs. The effects of O₃ on nutrient concentrations were attributed using graphical vector analysis, suggested that the increase of nutrient concentration in the shoots was attributed to excessive nutrient stocks, while their increase in root was attributed to the "concentration" effect. Compared to CF, NF60 also reduced the root-to-shoot ratio of N, P, S, K, Ca and Mg stocks by 34 %, 39 %, 37 %, 64 %, 46 % and 42 %, respectively, indicating the allocation of increased nutrients to shoots in response to O₃ stress. Changes in the allocation pattern of nutrients in different leaf positions and organs of poplar were primarily in response to O₃ stress since these nutrients play important roles in some physiological processes. These results will help improve the plantation nutrient utilization by optimizing fertilizer management regimes under O₃ pollution.

Implications of Foliar Particulate Matter Deposition on the Physiology and Nutrient Allocation of Dominant Perennial Species of the Indo-Gangetic Plains

The ramifications of different concentrations of foliar particulate matter on the physiology, nutrient stoichiometry, allocation pattern, and their corresponding re-translocation rates were investigated for evergreen (Mangifera indica and Psidium guajava), semi-evergreen (Ficus religiosa and Azadirachta indica), and deciduous (Dalbergia sissoo) tree species in a simulation experiment over an exposure period of 2 years. Physiological parameters (P_n, g_s, Ci, E, and WUE), nutrient stoichiometry (C: N) in different plant parts, and their allocation pattern for five macro- (C, N, K, Mg, Ca) and five (Zn, Ni, Mn, Cu, Fe) micro-elements at two different concentrations of particulate matter (ambient and elevated) with respect to control (no particulate load) were assessed. Significant differences in nutrient concentrations and their re-translocation rates were observed between the treatments in evergreen species compared to deciduous species. The photosynthetic rate significantly declined with an increase in foliar deposition of particulate matter. Higher variations in C, N, K, Mg, and Zn levels were found compared to other elements under particulate matter stress and the ratio of C/N showed a slight decline in mature leaves except in deciduous tree species. The nutrient stoichiometry revealed that the deciduous species were more tolerant whereas the re-translocation efficiency was maximum for the semi-evergreen tree species. The nutrient allocation was found greater in foliage compared to branch in evergreen and was opposite in semi-evergreen and deciduous tree species. The element re-translocation rate indicated an inconsistent behavior in nutrient recycling under the particulate matter load depending upon the tree species. The study entrenched a critical change in nutrient re-translocation and allocation pattern under the particulate stress in different parts of the tree, suggesting a novel approach for screening the tree species for sustainable plantation and planning of urban areas.

Response of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentration and stoichiometry of plants and soils during a soybean growth season to O3 stress and straw return in Northeast China

Carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and stoichiometry play important roles in biogeochemical cycles of the ecosystems, yet it is still unclear how the allocations of C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometry among plant organs and soils related to O3 stress and straw return. Here, a pot experiment was conducted in open top chambers to monitor the response of C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometry of leaves, stems, roots and soils during a growing season (branching, flowering and podding stages) of soybean (Glycine max; a species highly sensitive to O3) to background O3 concentration (44.8 ± 5.6 ppb), O3 stress (79.7 ± 5.4 ppb) and straw treatment (no straw return and straw return). O3 stress significantly decreased root biomass. Straw return significantly increased root biomass under O3 stress at branching and flowering stages. Generally, O3 stress and straw return showed significant effects on the C, N and P concentrations of leaves and soils, and stoichiometric ratios of leaves, stems and microbial biomass. The C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometry of leaves, stems, roots and soils in response to O3 stress and straw return at the branching stage were inconsistent with the changes observed at the flowering and podding stages. The P conversion efficiency showed significant relationship with root P concentration under the combined effects of O3 stress and straw return. Altogether, the present study indicated that C, N and P concentrations of soybean might be more important than stoichiometric ratios as a driver of root defence against O3 stress in the case of straw return.

Dynamics in Stoichiometric Traits and Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Pools across Three Different-Aged Picea asperata Mast. Plantations on the Eastern Tibet Plateau

Understanding the variations in soil and plants with stand aging is important for improving management measures to promote the sustainable development of plantations. However, few studies have been conducted on the dynamics of stoichiometric traits and carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) pools across Picea asperata Mast plantations of different ages in subalpine regions. In the present study, we examined the stoichiometric traits and C, N, and P stocks in different components of three different aged (22-, 32-, and 42-year-old) P. asperata plantations by plot-level inventories. We hypothesized that the stoichiometric traits in mineral soil could shape the corresponding stoichiometric traits in soil microbes, tree roots and foliage, and the C, N, and P stocks of the total P. asperata plantation ecosystem would increase with increasing stand age. Our results show that the N:P ratio in mineral soil was significantly correlated with that in tree foliage and herbs. Additionally, the C:N ratio and C:P ratio in mineral soil only correlated with the corresponding stoichiometric traits in soil microbes and forest floor, respectively. Both the fractions of microbial biomass C in soil organic C and microbial biomass N in soil total N decreased with increasing stand age. The C, N, and P stocks of the total ecosystem did not continuously increase across stand development. In particular, the P stock of the total ecosystem exhibited a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. The aboveground tree biomass C accounted for more than 55% of the total ecosystem C stock regardless of stand age. In contrast, mineral soil and forest floor were the major contributors to the total ecosystem N and P stocks in all stands. This study suggested that all three different stands were N limited, and the stoichiometric homeostasis in the roots of P. asperata was more stable than that in the foliage. In addition, the soil microbial community assembly may change with increasing stand age for P. asperata plantations in the subalpine region.

Impact of ozone pollution on nitrogen fertilization management during maize (Zea mays L.) production

The impacts of ozone (O₃) on crops have been extensively studied and are well understood. However, little information is available on the response of crops (especially maize) to the interactive effects of O₃ and nitrogen (N) fertilizer. To this end, a maize cultivar (Zheng dan 958, ZD958) that is common in China was exposed to two O₃ treatments and four N levels. We found that (1) the interactions between O₃ and N were non-significant for grain yield, plant biomass, C and N, although N addition significantly increased all parameters except C concentrations in grain and plant; (2) compared to NF (non-filtered ambient air O₃ concentration), NF60 (NF plus an extra 60 ppb O₃) increased the optimum N application rates (N_opt) in grain yield and plant biomass, but not grain yield and plant biomass potentials, thus resulting in lower N use efficiencies (NUE) and a larger risk of N-related environmental pollution (e.g., increased N₂O emission) under N_opt in NF60; (3) because of higher optimum plant N uptake (PN_opt) in NF60, relative to NF, plant N-saturated conditions for grain yield potential can be gradually turned into N-limited conditions as O₃ pollution increases. These findings manifest that O₃ is a vital global change factor impacting the management of N fertilization. If current O₃ pollution is substantially reduced, maize yield and biomass potentials can be increased under reductions in N input and N-related environmental pollution. In addition, these results can also contribute in developing and verifying N_opt model considering O₃ pollution in the future.

Can nutrient fertilization mitigate the effects of ozone exposure on an ozone-sensitive poplar clone?

We tested the independent and interactive effects of nitrogen (N; 0 and 80 kg ha^-1), phosphorus (P; 0, 40 and 80 kg ha^-1), and ozone (O₃) application/exposure [ambient concentration (AA), 1.5 × AA and 2.0 × AA] for five consecutive months on biochemical traits of the O₃-sensitive Oxford poplar clone. Plants exposed to O₃ showed visible injury and an alteration of membrane integrity, as confirmed by the malondialdehyde by-product accumulation (+3 and +17% under 1.5 × AA and 2.0 × AA conditions, in comparison to AA). This was probably due to O₃-induced oxidative damage, as documented by the production of superoxide anion radical (O₂^-, +27 and +63%, respectively). Ozone per se, independently from the concentrations, induced multiple signals (e.g., alteration of cellular redox state, increase of abscisic acid/indole-3-acetic acid ratio and reduction of proline content) that might be part of premature leaf senescence processes. By contrast, nutrient fertilization (both N and P) reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation (as confirmed by the decreased O₂^- and hydrogen peroxide content), resulting in enhanced membrane stability. This was probably due to the simultaneous involvement of antioxidant compounds (e.g., carotenoids, ascorbate and glutathione) and osmoprotectants (e.g., proline) that regulate the detoxification processes of coping with oxidative stress by reducing the O₃ sensitivity of Oxford clone. These mitigation effects were effective only under AA and 1.5 × AA conditions. Nitrogen and P supply activated a free radical scavenging system that was not able to delay leaf senescence and mitigate the adverse effects of a general peroxidation due to the highest O₃ concentrations.

Elevated ozone reduced leaf nitrogen allocation to photosynthesis in poplar

We investigated the effects of elevated ozone (O₃) concentration on leaf nitrogen (N), a key determinant of plant photosynthesis, with two clones of poplar grown in open-top chambers. We focus on the difference between mass-based leaf N concentration (N_mass) and area-based one (N_area) in their responses to elevated O₃, and the allocation of N to different leaf components: photosynthetic apparatus, cell walls, and others under elevated O₃ level. Our results showed that elevated O₃ significantly increased N_mass, but reduced N_area and leaf mass per area (LMA). The two clones showed no difference in N_mass response to O₃, but the more sensitive clone showed greater reduction of N_area and LMA due to O₃. We also found positive relationships between N_area and photosynthetic parameters, e.g. light-saturated photosynthetic rate (A_sat). Furthermore, elevated O₃ significantly reduced photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE) and leaf N allocation to photosynthetic components, while increasing N allocation to cell walls and other components. We concluded that plants invested more N in cell walls and other components to resist O₃ damages at the expense of photosynthetic N. The change of N allocation in plant leaves in response to elevated O₃ could have an impact on ecological processes, e.g. leaf litter decomposition.

Effects of ozone (O3) and ethylenediurea (EDU) on the ecological stoichiometry of a willow grown in a free-air exposure system

Ground-level ozone (O₃) concentrations have been elevating in the last century. While there has been a notable progress in understanding O₃ effects on vegetation, O₃ effects on ecological stoichiometry remain unclear, especially early in the oxidative stress. Ethyelenediurea (EDU) is a chemical compound widely applied in research projects as protectant of plants against O₃ injury, however its mode of action remains unclear. To investigate O₃ and EDU effects early in the stress, we sprayed willow (Salix sachalinensis) plants with 0, 200 or 400 mg EDU L^-1, and exposed them to either low ambient O₃ (AOZ) or elevated O₃ (EOZ) levels during the daytime, for about one month, in a free air O₃ controlled exposure (FACE); EDU treatment was repeated every nine days. We collected samples for analyses from basal, top, and shed leaves, before leaves develop visible O₃ symptoms. We found that O₃ altered the ecological stoichiometry, including impacts in nutrient resorption efficiency, early in the stress. The relation between P content and Fe content seemed to have a critical role in maintaining homeostasis in an effort to prevent O₃-induced damage. Photosynthetic pigments and P content appeared to play an important role in EDU mode of action. This study provides novel insights on the stress biology which are of ecological and toxicological importance.

Changes in nutrients and decay rate of Ginkgo biloba leaf litter exposed to elevated O3 concentration in urban area

Ground-level ozone (O₃) pollution has been widely concerned in the world, particularly in the cities of Asia, including China. Elevated O₃ concentrations have potentially influenced growth and nutrient cycling of trees in urban forest. The decomposition characteristics of urban tree litters under O₃ exposure are still poorly known. Ginkgo biloba is commonly planted in the cities of northern China and is one of the main tree species in the urban forest of Shenyang, where concentrations of ground-level O₃ are very high in summer. Here, we hypothesized that O₃ exposure at high concentrations would alter the decomposition rate of urban tree litter. In open-top chambers (OTCs), 5-year-old G. biloba saplings were planted to investigate the impact of elevated O₃ concentration (120 ppb) on changes in nutrient contents and decomposition rate of leaf litters. The results showed that elevated O₃ concentration significantly increased K content (6.31 ± 0.29 vs 17.93 ± 0.40, P < 0.01) in leaves of G. biloba, significantly decreased the contents of total phenols (2.82 ± 0.93 vs 1.60 ± 0.44, P < 0.05) and soluble sugars (86.51 ± 19.57 vs 53.76 ± 2.40, P < 0.05), but did not significantly alter the contents of C, N, P, lignin and condensed tannins, compared with that in ambient air. Furthermore, percent mass remaining in litterbags after 150 days under ambient air and elevated O₃ concentration was 56.0% and 52.8%, respectively. No significant difference between treatments was observed in mass remaining at any sampling date during decomposition. The losses of the nutrients in leaf litters of G. biloba showed significant seasonal differences regardless of O₃ treatment. However, we found that elevated O₃ concentration slowed down the leaf litter decomposition only at the early decomposition stage, but slightly accelerated the litter decomposition at the late stage (after 120 days). This study provides our understanding of the ecological processes regulating biogeochemical cycles from deciduous tree species in high-O₃ urban area.

Elevated ozone affects C, N and P ecological stoichiometry and nutrient resorption of two poplar clones

The effects of elevated ozone on C (carbon), N (nitrogen) and P (phosphorus) ecological stoichiometry and nutrient resorption in different organs including leaves, stems and roots were investigated in poplar clones 546 (P. deltoides cv. '55/56' × P. deltoides cv. 'Imperial') and 107 (P. euramericana cv. '74/76') with a different sensitivity to ozone. Plants were exposed to two ozone treatments, NF (non-filtered ambient air) and NF60 (NF with targeted ozone addition of 60 ppb), for 96 days in open top chambers (OTCs). Significant ozone effects on most variables of C, N and P ecological stoichiometry were found except for the C concentration and the N/P in different organs. Elevated ozone increased both N and P concentrations of individual organs while for C/N and C/P ratios a reduction was observed. On these variables, ozone had a greater effect for clone 546 than for clone 107. N concentrations of different leaf positions ranked in the order upper > middle > lower, showing that N was transferred from the lower senescent leaves to the upper ones. This was also indicative of N resorption processes, which increased under elevated ozone. N resorption of clone 546 was 4 times larger than that of clone 107 under ambient air (NF). However, elevated ozone (NF60) had no significant effect on P resorption for both poplar clones, suggesting that their growth was only limited by N, while available P in the soil was enough to sustain growth. Understanding ecological stoichiometric responses under ozone stress is crucial to predict future effects on ecological processes and biogeochemical cycles.

How important is woody tissue photosynthesis in EuCahetus dunnii Maiden and Osmanthus fragrans (Thunb.) Lour. under O3 stress?

Numerous studies have demonstrated the negative effects of elevated O₃ on leaf photosynthesis. Within trees, a portion of respired CO₂ is assimilated by woody tissue photosynthesis, but its response to elevated O₃ remains unclear. Saplings of two evergreen tree species, EuCahetus dunnii Maiden (E. dunnii) and Osmanthus fragrans (Thunb.) Lour. (O. fragrans), were exposed to non-filtered air (NF), 100 nmol mol^-1 O₃ air (E1) and 150 nmol mol^-1 O₃ air (E2) in open-top chambers from May 5 to September 5, 2016 (8 h a day; 7 days a week) in subtropical China. In this study, O₃ fumigation significantly reduced leaf net photosynthesis rate in both two tree species on most measurements. However, compared with leaf net photosynthesis rate, woody tissue gross photosynthesis rate showed less negative response to O₃ fumigation and was even stimulated to increase. Refixation rate reflects the utilization efficiency of the respired CO₂ by woody tissue photosynthesis. During the experiment period, E1 and E2 both increased refixation rate in O. fragrans compared with NF. Whereas for E. dunnii, E1 increased refixation rate until 81 days after starting of fumigation and then decreased it, and E2 decreased it all the time. Refixation rate had a significant positive correlation with woody tissue chlorophyll contents, indicating that the response of refixation rate to elevated O₃ may relate to chlorophyll contents. All these suggested that under O₃ fumigation, when atmospheric CO₂ uptake and fixation by leaf is limited, woody tissue photosynthesis can contribute more to the total carbon assimilation in trees. The findings help to understand the significance of woody tissue photosynthesis under elevated O₃ conditions.

Differential Responses in Non-structural Carbohydrates of Machilus ichangensis Rehd. et Wils. and Taxus wallichiana Zucc. Var. chinensis (Pilg.) Florin Seedlings to Elevated Ozone

Tropospheric ozone (O3) enrichment could change the carbon (C) metabolism and decrease the C stock for tree species. To assess the differences in response of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) between Machilus ichangensis Rehd. et Wils. (M. ichangensis) and Taxus wallichiana Zucc. var. chinensis (Pilg.) Florin (T. wallichiana) with elevated O3, one-year-old container seedlings of the two species were grown with ambient air (AA), 100 ppb (elevated O3 treatment 1, E1-O3), and 150 ppb (elevated O3 treatment 2, E2-O3) treatments using open top chambers. During the experiment, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of M. ichangensis and T. wallichiana were examined once each month from April to October. At the end of experiment, plants were harvested to examine the NSC concentrations and tissue C stocks. Results suggest elevated O3 significantly decreased Pn and total C stock for both M. ichangensis and T. wallichiana, while it also significantly decreased the NSC concentrations in the foliage of the two species, and the roots of T. wallichiana. However, the concentrations of NSCs and their components in other tissues did not change obviously. Significant increases in the ratio of soluble sugars to starch were observed in the foliage of M. ichangensis and the roots of T. wallichiana. For M. ichangensis, Pn was significantly and positively correlated with NSCs and their components only in foliage. In contrast, NSCs in both foliage and roots were significantly and positively correlated with Pn for T. wallichiana. Based on the results for Pn, total C stock, and NSC concentrations, M. ichangensis appeared more sensitive to elevated O3 than T. wallichiana. It is suggested that the strategies of C allocation in the two species are different with elevated O3.