The Influence of Soil Fertility and Water Stress on the Ozone Response of Hybrid Poplar Trees

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to determine the role of soil fertility and water stress on the ozone response of hybrid poplar trees. Rooted cuttings of hybrid poplar clone number388 (Populus maximowiczii X P. trichocarpa) were grown in a filtered-air greenhouse in 4.73-L plastic pots containing a greenhouse potting mix. A slow release 18-6-12 NPK fertilizer was added to obtain four soil fertility levels. Although the nitrogen content of the foliage increased significantly, after 2 months of growth, neither linear growth nor percent dry weight was affected by these amendments. Trees with a foliar content of approximately 2.69% N were found to be more susceptible to ozone fumigation of 196 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ for 6 hr than were trees with 1.53, 3.12, or 3.47% N. In the water stress experiment, withholding water from the test plants for 6-9 days reduced the relative water content in the foliage to 7-21%, respectively, below that of control plants, and protected the trees from a 6-hr fumigation at 196 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/. Visible water stress symptoms were not evident in plants from which water had been withheld for 6 days. These results are discussed as they pertain to susceptibility of urban trees to ozone damage.