Abstract
Tree decline and deaths have been observed among 15 to 20-year-old Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) in a dry heath forest in southwestern Finland. The sudden decline in height growth, the dieback of leading shoots and the yellowing of needles in young shoots in the upper part of the tree are typical symptoms of the decline of these young pines. Needle ultrastructure and chemical composition of Scots pines with or without decline and fluctuations of them in different seasons were studied. Afflicted trees were found to suffer from a deficiency in calcium and magnesium with low concentration of foliar nitrogen and phosphorus observed in all the trees studied. Ultrastructural study revealed changes characteristic of different seasons and measured nutrient status of needles. A clear reduction of membrane system in chloroplasts, especially related to Mg deficiency, was observed in most samples. The symptoms related to N deficiency, the translucent appearance of the cytoplasm and chloroplast stroma, and the elongated chloroplasts, as well as swelling of mitochondria, indicating P deficiency, were also found in the needles sampled from this forest decline area. The present study showed that it is possible to detect specific nutrient deficiency symptoms in needle ultrastructure in field samples and for use as sensitive indicators of unbalanced nutrient status.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fink S (1988) Histological and cytological changes caused by air pollutants and other abiotic factors. In: Schulte-Hostede S, Darral NM, Blank LW, Wellburn AR (eds) Air pollution and plant metabolism. Elsevier, London, pp 36–54
Fink S (1989) Pathological anatomy of conifer needles subjected to gaseous air pollutants or mineral deficiencies. Aquilo Ser Bot 27: 1–6
Fink S (1991) Structural changes in conifer needles due to Mg and K deficiency. Fert Res 27: 23–27
Forschner W, Schmitt V, Wild A (1989) Investigations on the starch content and ultrastructure of spruce needles relative to the occurrence of novel forest decline. Bot Acta 102: 208–221
Fischer ES (1989) Frühsymptome eines Ozonschadens an der Buschbohne bei variierter Magnesiumernährung. Angew Bot 63: 387–402
Goodwin TW, Mercer EI (1983) Introduction to plant biochemistry. Pergamon Press, Oxford
Hannick AF, Waterkeyn L, Weissen F, Van Praag HJ (1993) Vascular tissue anatomy of Norway spruce needles and twigs in relation to magnesium deficiency. Tree Physiol 13: 337–349
Hanson JB, Day DA (1980) Plant mitochondria. In: Tolbert NE (ed) The biochemistry of plants, vol 1. The plant cell. Academic Press, New York, pp 315–358
Holopainen T, Nygren P (1989) Effects of potassium deficiency and simulated acid rain, alone and in combination, on the ultrastructure of Scots pine needles. Can J For Res 16: 1402–1411
Holopainen T, Anttonen S, Wulff A, Palomäki V, Kärenlampi L (1992) Comparative evaluation of effects of gaseous pollutants, acidic deposition and mineral deficiencies: structural changes in the cells of forest plants. Agric Ecosystems Environ 42: 365–398
Huang C-YL, Schulte EE (1985) Digestion of plant tissue for analysis by ICP emission spectroscopy. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 16.9: 943–958
Huettl RF (1993) Mg deficiency — a “new” phenomenon in declining forests — symptoms and effects, causes, recuperation. In: Huettl RF, Mueller-Dombois D (eds) Forest decline in the Atlantic and Pacific regions. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 97–114
Jensen RG (1980) Biochemistry of the chloroplast. In: Tolbert NE (ed) The biochemistry of plants, vol 1: The plant cell. Academic Press, New York, pp 273–313
Johnson DW, Cresser MS, Nilsson SI, Turner J, Ulrich B, Binkley D, Cole DW (1991) Soil changes in forest ecosystems: evidence for an probable causes. In: Last FT, Watling R (eds) Acidic deposition, its nature and impacts. Proc R Soc Edinburgh B 97: 81–116
Jukka L (1988) Guide for forest health. Forest damages and protection, (in Finnish) Samerka Oy, Helsinki
Jung G, Wild A (1988) Electron microscopic studies of spruce needles in connection with the occurrence of novel forest decline I. Investigations of the mesophyll. J Phytopathology 122: 1–12
Kandler O, Miller W (1991) Dynamics of ‘acute yellowing’ in spruce connected with Mg deficiency. Water Air Soil Pollut 54: 21–34
Kärenlampi L, Houpis JLJ (1986) Structural conditions of mesophyll cells of Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum after SO2 fumigation. Can J For Res 16: 1381–1385
Liu JL, Huettl RF (1991) Relations between damage symptoms and nutritional status of Norway spruce stands (Picea abies Karst.) in southwestern Germany. Fert Res 27: 9–22
Makino A, Osmond B (1991) Effects of nitrogen nutrition on nitrogen partitioning between chloroplasts and mitochondria in pea and wheat. Plant Physiol 96: 355–362
Makino A, Mae T, Ohira K (1984) Relation between nitrogen and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase in rice leaves from emergence through senescence. Plant Cell Physiol 25: 429–437
Malhotra SS (1976) Effects of sulphur dioxide on biochemical activity and ultrastructural organization of pine needle chloroplasts. New Phytol 76: 239–245
Marschner H (1986) Mineral nutrition in higher plants. Academic Press, London
Mengel K, Kirkby EA (1979) Principles of plant nutrition. International Potash Institute Berne, Bern
Oren R, Werk KS, Schulze E-D, Meyer J, Scheider BU, Schramel P (1988) Performance of two Picea abies (L.) Karst. stands at different stages of decline: VI. Nutrient concentration. Oecologia 77: 151–162
Raitio H (1990) The foliar chemical composition of young pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) with or without decline. In: Kauppi P, Kenttämies K, Anttila P (eds) Acidification in Finland. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 699–713
Raitio H (1993) Calcium and magnesium deficiency in young pines and the stand structure on the affected habitats. In: Huettl RF, Mueller-Dombois D (eds) Forest decline in the Atlantic and Pacific regions. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 132–143
Rampazzo N, Blum WEH (1992) Changes in chemistry and mineralogy of forest soils by acid rain. Water Air Soil Pollut 61: 209–220
Rothe GM, Weil H, Geider M, Pfennig P, Wilhelmi V, Maurer WD (1988) Nutrient element and carbohydrate status of Norway spruce at Mt. Kleiner Feldberg in Taunus exposed to air pollution and soil acidification. Eur J For Path 18: 98–111
Saastamoinen T, Holopainen T (1989) Needle and root responses of small Pinus sylvestris seedlings exposed to sulphur dioxide and simulated acid rain. Scand J For Res 4: 273–283
Schiffgens-Gruber A, Lütz C (1992) Ultrastructure of mesophyll cell chloroplasts of spruce needles exposed to O3, SO2 and NO2 alone and in combination. Environ Exp Bot 32: 243–254
Soikkeli S (1978) Seasonal changes in mesophyll ultrastructure of needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies). Can J Bot 56: 1932–1940
Soikkeli S (1980) Ultrastructure of the mesophyll in Scots Pine and Norway Spruce: seasonal variation and molarity of the fixative buffer. Protoplasma 103: 241–252
Soikkeli S (1981) Comparison of cytological injuries in conifer needles from several polluted industrial environments in Finland. Ann Bot Fennici 18: 47–61
Sutinen S (1987 a) Ultrastructure of mesophyll cells of spruce needles exposed to O3 alone and together with SO2. Eur J For Path 17: 362–368
Sutinen S (1987 b) Cytology of Norway spruce needles. II. Changes in yellowing spruces from the Taunus Mountains, West Germany. Eur J For Path 17: 74–85
Sutinen S, Skärby L, Wallin G, Sellden G (1990) Long term exposure of Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) Karst., to ozone in open-top chambers. New Phytol 115: 345–355
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Palomäki, V., Raitio, H. Chemical composition and ultrastructural changes in Scots pine needles in a forest decline area in southwestern Finland. Trees 9, 311–317 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00202494
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00202494