Related Concept Videos
02:35Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
Like all living organisms, plants require organic and inorganic nutrients to survive, reproduce, grow and maintain homeostasis. To identify nutrients that are essential for plant functioning, researchers have leveraged a technique called hydroponics. In hydroponic culture systems, plants are grown—without soil—in water-based solutions containing nutrients. At least 17 nutrients have been identified as essential elements required by plants. Plants acquire these elements from the atmosphere, the...
02:40Pollination and Flower Structure
Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.
02:45Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses
The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.
02:16Light Acquisition
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
02:11The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.
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Nutrient status: a missing factor in phenological and pollen research?
Susanne Jochner1, Josef Höfler, Isabelle Beck
1Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Ecoclimatology, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany. jochner@wzw.tum.de
Journal of Experimental Botany
|May 1, 2013
Summary
Climate change impacts plant phenology. Higher temperatures and specific nutrients like potassium and zinc advance birch spring leaf-out. Pollen production decreases with temperature and air pollution.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Phenology is a key indicator of climate change impacts, with temperature strongly influencing onset dates.
- The role of other environmental factors, such as foliar nutrient concentrations, on phenology remains less understood.
- Urbanization introduces additional environmental variables that can interact with climate change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of air temperature and 11 foliar nutrients on the spring phenology of birch (Betula pendula Roth).
- To assess the influence of temperature, nutrients, and air pollutants (NO2, O3) on birch pollen and catkin biomass.
- To examine these factors along an urban-rural gradient in Munich, Germany.
Main Methods:
- Observational study conducted in Munich, Germany, during 2010-2011.
- Analysis of air temperature, foliar nutrient concentrations (11 types), and air pollutants (NO2, O3).
- Statistical correlation analysis to determine relationships between environmental variables and phenological/pollen data.
Main Results:
- Higher air temperatures and elevated foliar concentrations of potassium, boron, zinc, and calcium were significantly associated with earlier spring phenology.
- Pollen amounts showed negative correlations with temperature, atmospheric NO2, and foliar iron concentration.
- These findings suggest a physiological basis, linking nutrient-involved cell processes to earlier leaf-out.
Conclusions:
- Nutritional status significantly influences both plant phenology and pollen production in birch.
- Temperature and nutrient availability are critical drivers of spring phenological onset.
- The combined effects of urbanization and climate change warrant consideration for ecosystem and human health impacts.