Greta Jimenez
Plants are at the forefront of air pollution, and their growth can be affected in numerous ways. Pollutants enter plants mainly through their leaves and can have direct effects on their photosynthetic systems, leaf longevity, and patterns of carbon allocation.
Plants can experience foliage and bark damage, as well as issues with photosynthesis. Acid rain, which is caused by the mixing of compounds such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides with other chemicals in the atmosphere, can damage tree leaves and bark and hurt the fine root hairs of many plants. These fine root hairs are essential for plants to absorb water. Water pollution can also disrupt photosynthesis in aquatic plants by negatively affecting the capacity of water to dissolve gases such as carbon dioxide.
Air pollution can also cause physiological responses in plants, such as the production of reactive oxygen species, which can cause damage at the cellular level. Pollutants can further have specific effects depending on their chemical nature. For example, pollution by hydrofluoric acid can disrupt the cellular metabolism of calcium, while sulfur oxides can disturb the functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus by degrading chlorophyll.
The impact of air pollution on plants can have far-reaching consequences, affecting both natural and human ecosystems. It can lead to changes in plant-insect relationships, impact human health through the consumption of contaminated plant products, and alter the nutritional qualities of plants used by insects.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pollutants | Sulfur dioxide, Oxides of nitrogen, Hydrofluoric acid, Chlorine, Ammonia, Ethylene, Hydrogen sulphide, Carbon monoxide, Bromine, Iodine, Mercury, Cement dust, Lime, Gypsum, Soot, Boron, Chlorides of sodium, potassium and calcium, Pesticides, insecticides and herbicides |
| Effects on plants | Damage to leaf cuticles, altered stomatal conductance, direct effects on photosynthetic systems, leaf longevity, patterns of carbon allocation within plants, increased plant-environment relationships on a regional scale, changes in plant-insect relationships, disturbances in the location and recognition of plants by insects, changes in plant nutritional resources for insects, alterations in plant defences, reduced growth, necrosis, chlorosis, epinasty, hyponasty, abscission, leaf cupping, curling of leaf edges, ragged leaf margins, reduced photosynthesis, reduced respiration, reduced synthesis of proteins and enzymes, reduced synthesis of chlorophyll and cellulose, reduced growth, yield loss, premature senescence, early maturity, reduced pollen formation, pollination, pollen germination and growth of pollen tubes, increased starch, polysaccharides and number of polysomes, stimulated respiration, inhibited oxidative phosphorylation, changed membrane permeability, reduced seed germination, reduced plant height, reduced leaf size, reduced leaf number, reduced root length, reduced root hair number, reduced root hair length, reduced root hair diameter, reduced root hair surface area, reduced root hair volume, reduced biomass, reduced transpiration, reduced water use efficiency, reduced leaf water potential, reduced leaf relative water content, reduced leaf succulence, reduced leaf osmotic potential, reduced leaf osmotic adjustment, reduced leaf water retention, reduced leaf water content at turgor loss point, reduced leaf water content at full turgor, reduced leaf relative water content at full turgor, reduced leaf relative water content at turgor loss point, reduced leaf succulence at full turgor, reduced leaf succulence at turgor loss point, reduced leaf water potential at full turgor, reduced leaf water potential at turgor loss point, reduced leaf relative water content at full turgor, reduced leaf water potential at full turgor, reduced leaf 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What You'll Learn
- Pollutants can damage leaf cuticles and affect stomatal conductance
- Pollutants can have direct effects on photosynthetic systems, leaf longevity, and patterns of carbon allocation within plants
- Pollutants can cause foliage and bark damage
- Pollutants can disrupt photosynthesis in aquatic plants
- Pollutants can alter plant defences against insects
Pollutants can damage leaf cuticles and affect stomatal conductance
Leaf cuticles are waxy layers that cover the outer surface of leaves and stems. They play an important role in protecting the plant from external factors, such as water loss and pathogen infection. However, pollutants can damage these cuticles, making the plant more susceptible to external factors.
Stomatal conductance is the process by which stomata, or tiny pores in the leaves, open and close to regulate the exchange of gases like carbon dioxide, water vapour, and oxygen. It is influenced by both internal and external factors. For example, light is the primary external factor that determines stomatal conductance, as stomata are usually open during daylight to allow carbon dioxide in for photosynthesis.
When pollutants damage leaf cuticles, they can also affect stomatal conductance. This can disrupt the plant's gas exchange, impacting photosynthesis and respiration. Pollutants can also directly affect the stomata, causing them to close prematurely, which can lead to reduced carbon dioxide intake and decreased photosynthesis.
Additionally, pollutants can affect the plant's ability to regulate its water loss through transpiration. When stomata are open, water escapes in the form of vapour. If pollutants damage the stomata or affect their function, it can result in excessive water loss for the plant, impacting its health and growth.
Furthermore, pollutants can have indirect effects on stomatal conductance by altering the plant's environment. For example, increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration can decrease stomatal conductance, which may, in turn, reduce photosynthesis. Similarly, salinity stress can reduce stomatal conductance, impacting the plant's gas exchange and water loss regulation.
Overall, pollutants that damage leaf cuticles and affect stomatal conductance can have far-reaching consequences for the plant's health and growth. The disruption of these essential processes can impact the plant's ability to photosynthesize, respire, and regulate water loss, ultimately affecting its survival and productivity.
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Pollutants can have direct effects on photosynthetic systems, leaf longevity, and patterns of carbon allocation within plants
Pollutants can have a range of direct effects on plants, including impacts on their photosynthetic systems, leaf longevity, and patterns of carbon allocation.
Photosynthetic Systems
Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen, which is necessary for human and animal respiration. However, pollutants can interfere with this process. For example, particulate matter can reduce light penetration and block the opening of stomata, which are tiny openings on the leaves that allow carbon dioxide to enter and moisture to escape. This obstruction can prevent plants from properly photosynthesizing. Similarly, ozone and nitrogen oxides, which are chemicals responsible for direct pollution, can deposit directly onto plants and affect their leaf metabolism and carbon uptake.
Leaf Longevity
Pollutants can also cause leaf damage, including yellowing, falling leaves, and injuries. For instance, acid rain can directly damage leaves and make it harder for plants to photosynthesize and regulate gas exchange. Additionally, certain pollutants can cause leaf necrosis, chlorosis (leaf yellowing), reddening, and bronzing.
Carbon Allocation
Plants use carbon for energy and growth. However, pollutants can disrupt carbon allocation within plants. For example, heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury from industrial activities can fall onto the ground and alter soil chemistry and pH, making it difficult for plants to obtain the necessary nutrients for growth. Furthermore, plants near sources of noise pollution have shown a decrease in pine seedlings, potentially due to the absence of birds and pollinators in noisy environments.
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Pollutants can cause foliage and bark damage
Firstly, pollutants can cause direct physical damage to foliage and bark. For example, particulate matter pollution can cause surface abrasion, leading to physical damage. In heavily industrialised areas, a layer of particulate matter may accumulate on leaves, blocking stomata and restricting their ability to photosynthesise.
Secondly, pollutants can cause chemical damage to foliage and bark. For instance, high concentrations of ozone can cause visible injury to leaves, including reddening, bronzing, or yellowing, and can ultimately lead to cell death. Similarly, sulphur dioxide can cause swelling of thylakoids and interfere with the electron transport chain, while nitrogen dioxide causes the formation of crystalloid structures in the stroma of chloroplasts, reducing photosynthetic activity.
Thirdly, pollutants can cause indirect damage to foliage and bark by altering the soil. For example, acidic rainwater can leach aluminium from soil particles, and as more acid is introduced to the ecosystem, more aluminium is released. This can complicate nutrient uptake by plants, making aluminium one of the primary causes of forest decay.
Finally, pollutants can cause damage to foliage and bark by affecting plant-insect relationships. For example, air pollution can lead to a change in plant colour, which influences the colour of associated insects. It can also disrupt chemical communication between plants and insects and alter leaf recognition in insects.
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Pollutants can disrupt photosynthesis in aquatic plants
Plants are at the forefront of air pollution, and aquatic plants are no exception. The impact of pollutants on plant growth and health depends on the properties of the pollutant and the physiological and biochemical characteristics of the plant in question.
Water pollution can disrupt photosynthesis in aquatic plants. Water pollution negatively affects the capacity of water to dissolve gases such as carbon dioxide, which is necessary for photosynthesis. Aquatic plants, or hydrophytes, depend on photosynthesis for their survival, so any interference in the photosynthetic process can be fatal.
Water pollution also contaminates the soil, causing a plant's roots to be exposed to pollutants, which damages their ability to absorb vital nutrients and water. As water is a critical component of photosynthesis, this further inhibits a plant's energy production and growth.
Additionally, water pollution can cause an increase in soil acidity, which negatively affects the solubility of nutrient ions such as iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. These nutrients are then washed away, leaving large amounts of harmful aluminum in the soil.
Air pollution can also affect aquatic plants. Pollutants like dust particles can settle on leaves, increasing their temperature, killing sections, and plugging stomata openings. This damages chloroplasts and reduces their overall number within the leaf, resulting in a lower photosynthetic rate.
Furthermore, air pollution can cause haze, which blocks light and reduces a plant's rate of photosynthesis. The more haze a plant is exposed to, the lower its growth rate and the less productive its fruit yield.
Therefore, pollutants can indeed disrupt photosynthesis in aquatic plants, affecting their growth and survival.
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Pollutants can alter plant defences against insects
Firstly, plants can sense being touched and respond with strategies to defend against herbivores. Plants can alter their appearance by changing their size or quality in a way that prevents overconsumption by large herbivores, reducing the rate at which they are consumed.
Plants can also change their attractiveness to insects by changing their colour, which strongly influences the colour of associated insects. For example, in England, heavy air pollution led to the disappearance of lichens and the blackening of birch trunks in the 19th century. This, in turn, caused the peppered moth to evolve from a white moth with black spots to a much darker form.
Air pollution also disrupts chemical communication between plants and insects. Certain pollutants can degrade or modify the physicochemical composition of chemical mediators, rendering them ineffective.
Finally, air pollution can cause the presence of external elements in or on plants that can have serious consequences on associated insects. The high accumulation in plant organs of toxic air pollutants such as heavy metals, arsenic, fluorine, and certain plant protection products are often the cause of poisoning and mortality of phytophagous insects.
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Frequently asked questions
The main types of air pollutants that affect plant growth include gases such as sulfur dioxide, ozone, and oxides of nitrogen, as well as particulate matter like heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Air pollutants enter plants mainly through the leaves, especially via the stomata, which are tiny pores on the leaf surface. Pollutants can also enter through the stems and trunk to a lesser extent. Once inside the plant, pollutants can have direct effects on photosynthetic systems, leaf longevity, and patterns of carbon allocation, leading to reduced growth and physiological disturbances.
Plants react to air pollution by producing reactive oxygen derivatives, which cause oxidative stress and damage at the cellular level. Pollutants can also disrupt specific processes depending on their chemical nature. For example, hydrofluoric acid disrupts calcium metabolism, while sulfur oxides degrade chlorophyll and impair photosynthesis.
Air pollution can alter plant-insect relationships by modifying plant colour, chemical communication, leaf recognition, and nutritional resources for insects. It can also increase the presence of toxic elements in plants, leading to insect mortality.
Air pollution can have direct consequences for humans through the consumption of contaminated plant products from natural ecosystems. It can also lead to environmental degradation, increasing the risk of erosion, landslides, flooding, and negative aesthetic effects due to biodiversity loss. In human ecosystems, air pollution can contaminate many food chains, directly affecting human health.
