Renata Luzny Professor Judy Bunkall Biology 1615 Lab 20 October 2011 Leaf Optical Responses To Light And

Soil Nutrient Availability In Temperate Deciduous Trees Leaf visual changes are effects of light and nutrient availability at the cellular level. While many studies focused on optical changes in leaves as a response to plant stress such as pollutants, increased temperature and CO2 , this experiment focused more on the visual and anatomical changes of leaves in response to nutrient and light availability. Spectral reflectance increased more visibly at high light, but decreased with more nutrient availability. Determination of this reflectance and absorbance was possible by obtaining chlorophyll and carotenoid concentration. The optical features of leaves influence the photosynthesis. Exposure to a high light also affected a thickness of cuticles (the primary function of cuticles is preventing of water loss in plants). In this experiment, results for comparison were used from five deciduous tree species which were grown in one place with high and low light and nutrient availability. Focus was oriented on the leaves visual characteristic changes as a response to the light and nutrient sources. Five temperate deciduous tree species were chosen for this study: black cherry, sugar maple, red oak, red maple, and white ash. All these tree species grow in the Eastern part of Canada. In February 2001, twenty samples of each species were planted in 21.5 diameter pots with soil. The experiment was started in February; it started in a glasshouse used by the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto. Since the experiment started in February, daylight was added by using sodium halide lamps for a few of the following months. The trees were kept in constant temperature between 25 30C and they were watered regularly every day. A bit of shade for some trees was made by hanging a cloth over a

wooden frame and more nutrients for some other trees were obtained by the placement of a slow fertilizer. The measurements of leaf optical were obtained by using a dual integrating sphere system. Reflectance and transmittance of a leaf was measured by putting the leaf between the two integrating spheres. Samples of leaves were taken from different parts of the tree. To eliminate the bias, dual measurements were made. There was no difference between the dual and single measurements. The gloss trap was used for a second set of measurements. The gloss-trap is a procedure that is used to remove light from the leaf surface at a certain angle which allows for the diffusing of radiation. Measurements from the gloss-trap method show that this is not an adequate method on how to measure quantitatively specular reflectance of leaves. Leaf anatomy measurementswhich include cuticle thickness, spongy layers, and sum of leaveswere obtained by using the public domain Image program. In a statistical analysis, absorption efficiency and chlorophyll concentration were calculated. Important data about species, changing in chlorophyll concentration, fertilization and light was registered. As a result, the experiment proved that changes in leaves optical properties differ among species. However, it also proved that the difference in nutrient availability had only an insignificant effect on leave spectral reflectance. In fact, reflectance was higher in plants grown in high light and with no fertilizer. Total chlorophyll concentration differs among the species. Anatomical characteristics were different for each species. Light treatment affected many anatomical characteristics, but nutritional treatment affected only mesophyll thickness. Trees treated by high light had much thicker leaves than those treated by low light, but fertilization didnt have a significant effect on leaf thickness. LMA (leaf mass per area) was also much greater in plants grown with high light than those grown with low light.

Characteristics of leaves showed a wide variety of responses to light and nutrient availability. Also chlorophyll and carotenoid concentration played an important role in both spectral reflectance and absorbance. Light was influenced mostly spectral reflectance, changes in chlorophyll concentration and cuticle thickness. Fertilization showed larger effect on spectral absorbance. This experiment showed that there are some similarities between tree response on acute stress and moderate changes in light and nutrition availability.

Work Cited
Baltzer, J.L., and S.C. Thomas. "Leaf Optical Responses To Light And Soil Nutrient Availability In Temperate Deciduous Trees." American Journal of Botany. 9.2 (2005): 214-223. Print.