Manuel T. Lerdau

A unified mechanism of action for volatile isoprenoids in plant abiotic stress

The sessile nature of plants has resulted in the evolution of an extraordinarily diverse suite of protective mechanisms against biotic and abiotic stresses. Though volatile isoprenoids are known to be involved in many types of biotic interactions, they also play important but relatively unappreciated roles in abiotic stress responses. We review those roles, discuss the proposed mechanistic explanations and examine the evolutionary significance of volatile isoprenoid emission. We note that abiotic stress responses generically involve production of reactive oxygen species in plant cells, and volatile isoprenoids mitigate the effects of oxidative stress by mediating the oxidative status of the plant. On the basis of these observations, we propose a single biochemical mechanism for multiple physiological stressors model, whereby the protective effect against abiotic stress is exerted through direct or indirect improvement in resistance to damage by reactive oxygen species.

Kudzu (Pueraria montana) invasion doubles emissions of nitric oxide and increases ozone pollution

The nitrogen-fixing legume kudzu (Pueraria montana) is a widespread invasive plant in the southeastern United States with physiological traits that may lead to important impacts on ecosystems and the atmosphere. Its spread has the potential to raise ozone levels in the region by increasing nitric oxide (NO) emissions from soils as a consequence of increasing nitrogen (N) inputs and cycling in soils. We studied the effects of kudzu invasions on soils and trace N gas emissions at three sites in Madison County, Georgia in 2007 and used the results to model the effects of kudzu invasion on regional air quality. We found that rates of net N mineralization increased by up to 1,000%, and net nitrification increased by up to 500% in invaded soils in Georgia. Nitric oxide emissions from invaded soils were more than 100% higher (2.81 vs. 1.24 ng NO-N cm−2 h−1). We used the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to evaluate the potential impact of kudzu invasion on regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality. In an extreme scenario, extensive kudzu invasion leads directly to an increase in the number of high ozone events (above 70 ppb) of up to 7 days each summer in some areas, up from 10 to 20 days in a control scenario with no kudzu invasion. These results establish a quantitative link between a biological invasion and ozone formation and suggest that in this extreme scenario, kudzu invasion can overcome some of the air quality benefits of legislative control.

Effects of air pollution on biogenic volatiles and ecological interactions.

Chemical signals play important roles in ecological interactions but are vulnerable to perturbation by air pollution. In polluted air masses, signals may travel shorter distances before being destroyed by chemical reactions with pollutants, thus losing their specificity. To determine which scent-mediated interactions are likely to be affected, we review existing literature to build a picture of what chemicals are commonly found in such interactions and the spatial scales at which interactions occur. We find that pollination, attraction of natural enemies of plant pests, aggregation pheromones, and mate attraction are likely to be affected. We review the scant literature on this topic and extend the hypothesis to include heretofore unexplored interactions. New research should investigate whether air pollution deleteriously affects populations of organisms that rely on scent plumes. Additionally, we need to investigate whether or not breakdown products created by the reaction of signaling chemicals with pollutants can provide usable signals, and whether or not there has been adaptation on the part of scent emitters or receivers to use either breakdown products or more robust chemical signals. The proposed research will necessarily draw on tools from atmospheric science, evolutionary biology, and ecology in furthering our understanding of the ecological implications of how air pollution modifies the scentscape.

Effects of experimental manipulation of light and nutrients on establishment of seedlings of native and invasive woody species in Long Island, NY forests

While earlier studies on the process of invasion often focused on single factors or on the general explanation of ‘disturbance,’ recent work has attempted to move towards a more mechanistic understanding of the factors that promote plant community invasion. Manipulative experiments provide a means for discerning causal relationships and interactive effects of environmental factors in promoting invasion; such experiments have been conducted in a number of grassland and shrub ecosystems. This study extends multifactor manipulative experiments into forest communities to compare factors influencing early seedling establishment for native and invasive woody plants. In Long Island, NY, invasion patterns are correlated with forest community type (pine barrens or hardwood), light availability, and soil N and Ca. We conducted manipulative field experiments in two different years to determine the relative importance and interaction of experimental gaps and N and Ca addition in pine barrens and hardwood forests in promoting invasion. We used seedlings of seven common native and invasive species in the first experiment, and 16 native and invasive species paired phylogenetically in the second experiment. Light had the strongest effect on plant growth; all plants grew more in gaps. We found no difference in the average growth rates of native and invasive species. Invasives responded more to high resources than did natives, with highest relative growth rates in gaps in the more fertile soils of the hardwood forests. Opportunities for invasion may differ from year to year, with differential success of invaders only in some years and under some environmental conditions. Clearly, to understand the complex interactions between resources and invasion in forests will require many manipulative experiments across a range of environments and using suites of invasive and native species.

Leaf traits and water relations of 12 evergreen species in Costa Rican wet and dry forests: patterns of intra-specific variation across forests and seasons.

This study examined variation in leaf traits and water relations in 12 evergreen and semideciduous woody species that occur in both seasonal wet and dry forests in Costa Rica and compared intra-specific leaf–trait correlations to those found in inter-specific global studies. The following traits were measured in both forests across seasons for 2xa0years: leaf nitrogen (N), leaf carbon (C), specific leaf area (SLA), toughness, cuticle thickness, leaf thickness, and leaf lifespan (LLS). Leaf water potential (LWP) and water content (LWC) were measured as indices of plant available water. Canopy openness, soil moisture, and herbivory were also measured to compare environmental variation across sites. Although species contributed the greatest amount to variation in traits, season, forest, and their interaction had a large influence on patterns of intra-specific leaf–trait variation. Leaf traits that contributed most to variation across sites were C, LWP, leaf thickness, and SLA. Traits that contributed most to variation across seasons were leaf toughness, LWP, and LWC. Furthermore, leaf traits were more correlated (i.e., number and strength of correlations) in the dry than in the wet forest. In contrast to results from global literature syntheses, there was no correlation between LLS and N, or LLS and SLA. Both light and water availability vary seasonally and may be causing variation in a number of leaf traits, specifically those that relate to water relations and leaf economics. Strong seasonality may cause leaf–trait relationships at the local scale to differ from those documented in continental and global-scale studies.

A maximum hypothesis of transpiration

[1]xa0We hypothesize that the system of liquid water in leaf tissues and the water vapor in the atmosphere tends to evolve towards a potential equilibrium as quickly as possible by maximization of the transpiration rate. We make two assumptions in formulating the transpiration rate: (1) stomatal aperture is directly controlled by guard cell turgor (or leaf water potential); (2) CO2 flux can be used as a nonparametric equivalent of stomatal conductance for a given stomatal function (not necessarily optimal in terms of the water use efficiency for photosynthesis). Transpiration is then expressed as a function of leaf temperature, CO2 flux (as a surrogate of stomatal conductance), and sensible heat flux characterizing the transport mechanism at a given level of radiative energy input. Maximization of transpiration constrained by the energy balance equation leads to vanishing derivatives of transpiration with respect to leaf temperature and CO2 flux. We have obtained observational evidence in support of the proposed hypothesis.

Catabolism of volatile organic compounds influences plant survival

Plants emit a diverse array of phytogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The production and emission of VOCs has been an important area of research for decades. However, recent research has revealed the importance of VOC catabolism by plants and VOC degradation in the atmosphere for plant growth and survival. Specifically, VOC catabolism and degradation have implications for plant C balance, tolerance to environmental stress, plant signaling, and plant-atmosphere interactions. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of VOC catabolism and degradation, propose experiments for investigating VOC catabolism, and suggest ways to incorporate catabolism into VOC emission models. Improving our knowledge of VOC catabolism and degradation is crucial for understanding plant metabolism and predicting plant survival in polluted environments.

Plant and Soil Mediation of Elevated CO2 Impacts on Trace Metals

The cycling of trace metals through terrestrial ecosystems is modulated by plant and soil processes. Changes in plant growth and function and soil properties associated with increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) may therefore also affect the biological storage and stoichiometry of trace metals. We examined CO2 effects on a suite of metal micronutrients and contaminants in forest trees and soils at two free-air CO2 enrichment sites—a loblolly pine forest in North Carolina (Duke) and a sweetgum plantation in Tennessee [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)]—and an open-top chamber experiment in a scrub-oak community in Florida [Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)]. We found that CO2 effects on soil metals were variable across sites; there were significantly higher surface soil metal concentrations with CO2 enrichment at Duke and ORNL (Pxa0<xa00.05), but a trend of decreased soil metal concentrations at SERC (non-significant). These impacts on metals may be understood in the context of CO2 effects on soil organic matter (SOM); changes in percent SOM with CO2 enrichment were greatest at Duke (18% increase), followed by ORNL (7% increase), with limited effect at SERC (3% increase). There were significant effects of elevated CO2 on foliar metal concentrations at all sites, but the response of foliar metals to CO2 enrichment varied by metal, among sites, and within sites based on plant species, canopy height, and leaf age. Contrary to expectations, we did not find an overall decline in foliar metal concentrations with CO2 enrichment, and some essential plant metals were greater under elevated CO2 (for example, 28% increase in Mn across species and sites). Our results suggest that elevated CO2 impacts on trace metal biogeochemistry can be understood by accounting for both metal function (or lack thereof) in plants and the soil characteristics of the ecosystem.

Leaf and root pectin methylesterase activity and 13C/12C stable isotopic ratio measurements of methanol emissions give insight into methanol production in Lycopersicon esculentum

Plant production of methanol (MeOH) is a poorly understood aspect of metabolism, and understanding MeOH production in plants is crucial for modeling MeOH emissions. Here, we have examined the source of MeOH emissions from mature and immature leaves and whether pectin methylesterase (PME) activity is a good predictor of MeOH emission. We also investigated the significance of below-ground MeOH production for mature leaf emissions. We present measurements of MeOH emission, PME activity, and MeOH concentration in mature and immature tissues of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). We also present stable carbon isotopic signatures of MeOH emission and the pectin methoxyl pool. Our results suggest that below-ground MeOH production was not the dominant contributor to daytime MeOH emissions from mature and immature leaves. Stable carbon isotopic signatures of mature and immature leaf MeOH were similar, suggesting that they were derived from the same pathway. Foliar PME activity was related to MeOH flux, but unexplained variance suggested PME activity could not predict emissions. The data show that MeOH production and emission are complex and cannot be predicted using PME activity alone. We hypothesize that substrate limitation of MeOH synthesis and MeOH catabolism may be important regulators of MeOH emission.

Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and nitrogen fertilization on nitrate reductase activity in sweetgum and loblolly pine trees in two temperate forests.

Nitrogen (N) availability is a major factor limiting plant production in many terrestrial ecosystems and is a key regulator of plant response to elevated CO2. Plant N status is a function of both soil N availability and plant N uptake and assimilation capacity. As a rate-limiting step in nitrate assimilation, the reduction of nitrate is an important component of plant physiological response to elevated CO2 and terrestrial carbon sequestration. We examine the effects of elevated CO2 and N availability on the activity of nitrate reductase, the enzyme catalyzing the reduction of nitrate to nitrite, in two temperate forests—a closed canopy sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) plantation in Tennessee (Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)) and a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stand in North Carolina (Duke). Both CO2 and N enrichment had species specific impacts on nitrate reductase activity (NaR). Elevated CO2 and N fertilization decreased foliar NaR in P. taeda, but there were no treatment effects on L. styraciflua NaR at ORNL or Duke. NaR in 1-year P. taeda needles was significantly greater than in 0-year old needles across treatments. P. taeda NaR was negatively correlated with bio-available molybdenum concentrations in soils, suggesting that CO2 and N-mediated changes in soil nutrient status may be altering soil-plant N-dynamics. The variation in response among species may reflect different strategies for acquiring N and suggests that elevated CO2 may alter plant N dynamics through changes in NaR.