The main objective of this thesis was to examine the effects of climate change and simulated herbivory (artificial foliage damage) on growth responses and leaf characteristics (chemical and morphological structure and consequent palatability) of silver birch (Betula pendula) seedlings. In order to achieve this target, seedlings were grown in climate controlled closed-top chambers under ambient ...

hydroponic experiments were performed to exam the dynamic change of endogenous proline in rice seedlings exposed to potassium chromate chromium (vi) or chromium nitrate chromium (iii). although accumulation of both chromium species in rice seedlings was obvious, more chromium was detected in plant tissues of rice seedlings exposed to chromium (iii) than those in chromium (vi), majority being in...

The flu mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana overaccumulates in the dark the immediate precursor of chlorophyllide, protochlorophyllide (Pchlide), a potent photosensitizer, that upon illumination generates singlet oxygen ((1)O2). Once (1)O2 has been released in plastids of the flu mutant, mature plants stop growing, while seedlings die. Several suppressor mutations, dubbed singlet oxygen-linked death...

Root and hypocotyl elongation, water status and solute accumulation were studied in osmotically stressed seedlings of the tropical tree, Colophospermum mopane (Kirk ex Benth.) Kirk ex J. Léonard, which grows in hot arid areas of southern and central Africa. Seeds were imbibed for 24 h and then subjected to a polyethylene-glycol-generated osmotic stress of -0.03 (control), -0.2, -0.8, -1.6 or -2...

This study evaluates how preference by a generalist slug herbivore Arion subfuscus changes inversely with seedling size across three levels of fertilization for three full-sib families of willow seedlings. We analyzed seedlings for condensed tannin and protein concentration, and related these data to changes in palatability. In preference tests over time, leaf discs from more fertilized seedlin...

The Arabidopsis mutants eto1 (ethylene overproducer) and eto3 produce elevated levels of ethylene as etiolated seedlings. Ethylene production in these seedlings peaks at 60 to 96 h, and then declines back to almost wild-type levels. Ethylene overproduction in eto1 and eto3 is limited mainly to etiolated seedlings; light-grown seedlings and various adult tissues produce close to wild-type amount...

Seedlings of Leptospermum scoparium J.R. et G. Forst (manuka) originating from seed from a low altitude coastal site (Auckland) and from a high altitude inland site (Desert Road) were grown for 96 days in four controlled environments to compare the relationship between growth temperature and frost hardening. Day/night temperature treatments were 12/6, 12/3, 12/0 and 12/-3 degrees C. Frost hardi...

The chloroplast is the most prominent and metabolically active plastid in photosynthetic plants. Chloroplasts differentiate from proplastids in the plant meristem. Plant plastids contain multiple copies of a small circular genome. The numbers of chloroplasts per mesophyll cell and of plastid genome copies are affected by developmental stage and environmental signals. We compared chloroplast str...

      Dust storms are increasingly threatening the forest ecosystem in Western Iran. Due to its coverage of vast area of Zagros forest, the Quercus brantii is at the front line of the attack. Most tree deaths in this forest are from this species. This study aims to investigate the effect of simulated dust on wood development and leaf stomata from seedlings of Persian oak. The oak seedlings were...

A bstract. Kinetin in concentrations of 10-e to 10-4 M, stimuated ethylene production in 3 and 4-day old etiolated seedlings of Alaska pea (Pisucm sativum L. var. Ala-ka). Seedlings of other species responded similarly. The response to kinetin depended on the age of the seedlings. Kinetin alone did not influence ethylene production in 6-day old stem sections, but it greatly increased the enhanc...