Abstract
Photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and SO2 absorption rate were simultaneously measured under exposure to SO2 (0.1–1.0 μl l −1) for 5 or 8 hr in six species belonging to C4 or C3 plants (Zea mays, Sorghum vulgare, Amaranthus tricolor, Oryza sativa, Avena sativa andHelianthus annuus). Distinct interspecific differences were found as to the extent of inhibition of photosynthetic rate. Calculation of diffusive resistance to H2O(r) and SO2(r′) showed that the ratio of r′/r was 1.9 irrespective of species and coincided well with the theoretical value based on molecular diffusion. Thus it was made clear that the absorption of SO2 was dependent upon the gas exchange capacity of leaf blade. Using the ratio of r′/r the rate of SO2 absorption could be calculated from transpiration rate and was compared with the inhibition rate of photosynthesis. In three C4 species, the inhibition of photosynthesis increased linearly with the amount of SO2 absorbed during a 5-hour period. The pattern of inhibition of photosynthesis inA. sativa andH. annuus among C3 species was similar to that of C4 species until the amount of SO2 absorbed reached 60 mg-SO2 m−2 above which the inhibition abruptly increased. The inhibition of photosynthesis inO. sativa was exceptionally severe even with only a small amount of SO2 absorbed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bell, J.N.B. andC.H. Mudd 1976. Sulfur dioxide resistance in plants: a case study ofLolium perenne.In: T.A. Mansfield, ed., Effects of Air Pollutants on Plants p. 87–103. Cambridge Univ. Press, London.
Bennett, J.H., A.C. Hill andD.M. Gates. 1973. A model for gaseous pollutant sorption by leaves. J. Air Pollution Control Ass.23: 957–962.
Black, C.C., T.M. Chen andR.H. Brown. 1969. Biochemical basis for plant competition. Weed Sci.17: 338–344.
Bressan, R.A., L.G. Wilson andP. Filner. 1978. Mechanism of resistance to sulfur dioxide in the Cucurbitaceae. Plant Physiol.61: 761–767.
Caput, C., Y. Belot, D. Auclair andN. Decourt. 1978. Absorption of sulfur dioxide by pine needles leading to acute injury. Environ. Pollution16: 3–15.
Craker, L.E. andJ.S. Starbuck. 1973. Leaf age and air pollutant susceptibility: Uptake of ozone and sulfur dioxide. Environ. Res.6: 91–94.
Elkiey, T. andD.P. Ormrod. 1980. Sorption of ozone and sulfur dioxide by petunia leaves. J. Environ. Quality9: 93–95.
El-Sharkay, M. andJ. Hesketh. 1965. Photosynthesis among species in relation to characteristics of leaf anatomy and CO2 diffusion resistances. Crop Sci.5: 517–521.
Furukawa, A., O. Isoda, H. Iwaki andT. Totsuka. 1979. Interspecific differences in responses of transpiration to SO2. Environ. Control Biol.17: 153–159.
Garsed, S.G. andD.J. Read 1974. The uptake and translocation of35SO2 in soybean,Glycine max var.Biloxi. New Phytologist73: 299–307.
—. 1977. The uptake and metabolism of35SO2 in plants of differing sensitivity to sulphur dioxide. Environ. Pollution13: 173–186.
Iwasaki, I., S. Utsumi, K. Hagino, T. Tarutani andT. Ozawa. 1958. Spectrotometric determination of small amounts of sulfate ion. J. Chem. Soc. Japan79: 32–50.
Jensen, K.F. andT.T. Kozlowski. 1975. Absorption and translocation of sulfur dioxide by seedlings of four forest tree species. J. Environ. Quality4: 379–382.
Klein, H., H.J. Jäger, W. Domes andC.H. Wong. 1978. Mechanisms contributing to differential sensitivities of plants to SO2. Oecologia33: 203–208.
Kondo, N. andK. Sugahara. 1978. Changes in transpiration rate of SO2-resistant and-sensitive plants with SO2 fumigation and the participation of abscisic acid. Plant Cell Physiol.19: 365–373.
Kouchi, H. 1980a. Studies on relationships between ozone absorption rate and stomatal diffusion resistance of plant leaf. J. Jap. Soc. Air Pollution15: 109–117.
— 1980b. Relationships between ozone absorption and leaf injury.—Especially, on the relationships between differences in ozone susceptibility accompanying leaf age and ozone absorption rate. J. Jap. Soc. Air Pollution15: 389–393.
Levitt, J. 1972. Responses of Plants to Environmental Stresses. Academic Press, New York.
Lüttge, U., C.B. Osmond, E. Ball, F. Brinckmann andG. Kinze. 1972. Bisulfite compounds as metabolic inhibitors: nonspecific effects on membranes. Plant Cell Physiol.13: 505–514.
Malhotra, S.S. andD. Hocking. 1976. Biochemical and cytological effects of sulphur dioxide on plant metabolism. New Phytologist76: 227–237.
Malissa, H. andL. Maccherndl. 1962. Eine systematische Untersuchung zur Schwefelbestimmung in organischen Substanzen nach der Kolbenmethode von Schöniger. Mikrochimica Acta p. 1089–1094.
Miller, J.E. andP.B. Xerikos. 1979. Residence time of sulphite in SO2 ‘sensitive’ and ‘tolerant’ soybean cultivars. Environ. Pollution18: 259–264.
Monteith, J.L. 1973. Principles of Environmental Physics. Edward Arnold, London.
Natori, T. andT. Totsuka. 1980. Effects of short or long term fumigation with NO2 on plant's factors controlling NO2 sorption rate. J. Jap. Soc. Air Pollution15: 329–333.
Omasaka, K. andF. Abo. 1978. Studies of air pollutant sorption by plants (I) Relation between local SO2 sorption and acute visible leaf injury. J. Agr. Meteorology34: 51–58.
——. 1979. Studies of air pollutant sorption by plants. (II) Sorption under fumigation with NO2, O3 or NO2+O3. J. Agr. Meteorology35: 77–83.
Rawson, H.M. andJ.E., Begg. 1977. The effect of atmospheric humity on photosynthesis, transpiration and water use efficiency of leaves of several plant species. Planta134: 5–10.
Sakamoto, S., A. Nara, Y. Baba, S. Suzuki andK. Hasegawa. 1971. The determination of sulfur by method of flask combustion and conductometric titration. Jap. Analyst20: 1455–1457.
Schöniger, W. 1956. Die mikroanalytische Schnellbestimmung von Halogenen und Schwefel in organischen Verbindungen. Mikrochimica Acta p. 869–976.
Srivastava, H.S., P.A. Jolliffe andV.C. Runeckles. 1975. Inhibition of gas exchange in bean leaves by NO2. Can. J. Bot.53: 466–474.
Tanaka, S. and Y. Hashimoto. 1977. Preparation of sulfur dioxide with constant low concentration from the pH controlled sodium hydrogen-sulfite solution. Nippon Kagaku Kaishi p. 427–430.
Taniyama, T. andH. Arikado. 1968. Studies on the mechanism of injurious effects of toxic gases on crop plants 1. Relation between the concentration of sulfur dioxide and the degree of leaf injuries in several crops. Jap. J. Crop Sci.37: 366–371.
Taylor, G.E. Jr. 1978. Plant and leaf resistance to gaseous air pollution stress. New Phytologist80: 523–534.
— andD.T. Tingey. 1981. Physiology of ecotypic plant response to sulfur dioxide inGeranium carolinianum L. Oecologia49: 76–82.
Thorne, L. andC.P. Hanson. 1972. Species differences in rates of vegetal ozone absorption. Environ. Pollution3: 303–312.
Totsuka, T. and M. Monsi. 1977. Effects of SO2 on photosynthesis and respiration of a single leaf in some higher plants.In: M. Monsi, ed., Fundamental Studies of the Metabolism of Plant Communities Effective in the Conservation of the Environment. Papers presented by co-researchers in Special Project Research “Environment and Human Survival” granted by the Ministry of Education, p. 11–17.
Umemoto, K., K. Inoue andA. Nishii. 1970. Photometric titration of trace amount of sulfate ion and microdetermination of organic sulfur using together with flask combustion method. Jap. Analyst19: 450–454.
Unsworth, M.H., P.V. Biscoe andV. Black. 1976. Analysis of gas exchange between plants and polluted atmospheres.In: T.A. Mansfield, ed., Effects of Air Pollutants on Plants p. 5–16. Cambridge Univ. Press, London.
Ushijima, T., Y. Fukushima, J. Aoshima, S. Sato, I. Taketomi and T. Tazaki. 1977. The influence of sulfur dioxide on the photosynthetic and transpiration rates in several plants.In: M. Monsi, ed., Fundamental Studies of the Metabolism of Plant Communities Effective in the Conservation of the Environment. Papers presented by co-researchers in Special Project Research “Environment and Human Survival” granted by the Ministry of Education, p. 1–9.
Winner, W.E. andH.A. Mooney. 1980a. Ecology of SO2 resistance: I. Effects of fumigations on gas exchange of deciduous and evergreen shrubs. Oecologia,44: 290–295.
—. 1980b. Ecology of SO2 resistance: II. Photosynthetic changes of shrubs in relation to SO2 absorption and stomatal behavior. Oecologia44: 296–302.
—. 1980c. Ecology of SO2 resistance. III. Metabolic changes of C3 and C4 Atriplex species due to SO2 fumigations. Oecologia46: 49–54.
Yamazoe, F. andH. Mayumi. 1975. Diagnostic techniques for plants affected by air pollutants. Bull. Nat. Inst. Agr. Sci., Ser. B27: 1–60.
Ziegler, I. 1975. The effect of SO2 pollution on plant metabolism. Residue Rev.56: 79–105.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
deceased.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Katase, M., Ushijima, T. & Tazaki, T. The relationship between absorption of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and inhibition of photosynthesis in several plants. Bot Mag Tokyo 96, 1–13 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02489570
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02489570