Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2011, 59(5), 9-16 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201159050009

Monitoring the damage to epicuticular waxes at silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) in the changing air pollution spectrum of the Ore Mountains

Emilie Bednářová1, Jiří Kučera2
1 Ústav ekologie lesa, Mendelova univerzita v Brně, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Česká republika
2 Turistická 5, 621 00 Brno, Česká republika

The paper deals with the study of damage to the assimilatory apparatus of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) using the study of changes of epicuticular waxes in the period 1997 to 2009. During the period, changes in the air pollution spectrum occurred in the area of the Ore Mountains. At the beginning of the monitoring, above-limit concentrations of sulphur oxides were the main anthropogenic factor. These concentrations resulted in the degradation of epicuticular waxes. Statistical evaluations demonstrated the high dependence of damage to epicuticular waxes on high concentrations of sulphur oxides. Damage to epicuticular waxes by air pollution increased with the increasing altitude of a forest stand. Since 2001, measured values of SO2 decreased to a minimum but a new phenomenon appeared damaging the assimilatory apparatus of forest stands, namely above-limit concentrations of ground ozone. These above-limit concentrations of ground ozone damage the assimilatory apparatus including epicuticular waxes at all silver birch stands occurring at altitudes above 800 m. This finding was also proved by the high coefficient of determination.

Keywords: birch (Betula pendula Roth.), air pollution, epicuticular waxes, altitude, damage, sulphur oxides, ground ozone
Grants and funding:

This paper was written the framework of the projects VZ MSM 621564890.

Received: April 11, 2011; Published: March 23, 2014  Show citation

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Bednářová, E., & Kučera, J. (2011). Monitoring the damage to epicuticular waxes at silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) in the changing air pollution spectrum of the Ore Mountains. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 59(5), 9-16. doi: 10.11118/actaun201159050009
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