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Atmospheric ammonia: absorption by plant leaves
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 18, 1972
Summary
Plant leaves absorb significant amounts of ammonia from the air, even at low atmospheric levels. Ammonia absorption rates fluctuate daily and vary by plant species, but are unaffected by nitrogen fertility.
Area of Science:
- Plant physiology
- Environmental science
- Atmospheric chemistry
Background:
- Ammonia is a key atmospheric pollutant and nutrient.
- Understanding plant-air interactions is crucial for environmental and agricultural science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify ammonia absorption by plant leaves at ambient atmospheric concentrations.
- To investigate factors influencing ammonia uptake by plants, including diurnal variations, species differences, and nitrogen fertility.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a sealed growth chamber to monitor ammonia concentration changes in an airstream flowing over a single plant seedling.
- Measured the rate of ammonia disappearance from the airstream to determine plant absorption rates.
Main Results:
- Plant leaves demonstrated significant absorption of atmospheric ammonia, even at low concentrations.
- Ammonia absorption rates exhibited substantial diurnal fluctuations.
- Absorption rates varied among different plant species.
- Nitrogen fertility levels within a species did not significantly impact ammonia absorption rates.
Conclusions:
- Plant leaves play a significant role in removing ammonia from the atmosphere.
- Diurnal patterns and species-specific characteristics are key determinants of plant ammonia uptake.
- Nitrogen availability in plants does not appear to be a limiting factor for ammonia absorption from the air.
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