Abstract
Seasonal variation in leaf phenolic composition may be important for acclimation of plants to seasonal changes in their biotic and abiotic environment. For a realistic assessment of how plants respond to solar UV-B (280-315 nm) and UV-A (315-400 nm) radiation, seasonal variation in both environment and plant responses needs to be taken into account. This also has implications for studies concerning stratospheric ozone depletion and resulting increased UV-B radiation, as other environmental variables and/or plant phenology could interact with UV radiation. To elucidate this, we established a field experiment using plastic films attenuating different parts of the solar UV spectrum. The concentration of individual phenolic compounds was measured during one growing season in leaves of grey alder (Alnus incana) and white birch (Betula pubescens) trees. Our results showed changes in concentration of, e.g. hydrolyzable tannins in birch that suggest an effect of UV-A alone and e.g. chlorogenic acids in alder indicate a quadratic effect of UV-B irradiance and both linear and quadratic effect for UV-A in second-degree polynomial fits. Further, there was interaction between treatment and sampling time for some individual metabolites; hence, the UV response varied during the season. In addition to the UV effects, three temporal patterns emerged in the concentrations of particular groups of phenolics. Possible implications for both sampling methods and timing are discussed. Moreover, our results highlight differences in responses of the two tree species, which are taken to indicate differences in their ecological niche differentiation.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Concentrations of hydrolyzable tannins in birch changed under UV-A alone in a field experiment.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“Our results showed changes in concentration of, e.g. hydrolyzable tannins in birch that suggest an effect of UV-A alone”
e0“we established a field experiment using plastic films attenuating different parts of the solar UV spectrum”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorogenic acids in alder showed a quadratic response to UV-B irradiance.
AlnusNot reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“chlorogenic acids in alder indicate a quadratic effect of UV-B irradiance and both linear and quadratic effect for UV-A in second-degree polynomial fits”
e0“we established a field experiment using plastic films attenuating different parts of the solar UV spectrum”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorogenic acids in alder showed linear and quadratic responses to UV-A in second-degree polynomial fits.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“chlorogenic acids in alder indicate a quadratic effect of UV-B irradiance and both linear and quadratic effect for UV-A in second-degree polynomial fits”
Claim · model-written summary
The UV response of phenolic compounds in grey alder and white birch varied during the season, with a treatment by sampling time interaction for some metabolites.
- Taxon
- grey alder (Alnus incana) and white birch (Betula pubescens)
Alnus incana
Betula pubescense4 - Treatment
- treatment and sampling timee3
- Outcome
- UV responsee3
- Direction
- variede3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“there was interaction between treatment and sampling time for some individual metabolites; hence, the UV response varied during the season”
e4“grey alder (Alnus incana) and white birch (Betula pubescens) trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Groups of phenolics in the two tree species showed three temporal patterns of concentration.
- Taxon
- grey alder (Alnus incana) and white birch (Betula pubescens)Alnus incanaBetula pubescense4
- Outcome
- three temporal patternse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“three temporal patterns emerged in the concentrations of particular groups of phenolics”
e4“grey alder (Alnus incana) and white birch (Betula pubescens) trees”
Claim · model-written summary
The two tree species responded differently to UV, which may indicate differences in ecological niche differentiation.
- Taxon
- grey alder (Alnus incana) and white birch (Betula pubescens)Alnus incanaBetula pubescense4
- Outcome
- responsese6
- Qualifier
- differences in their ecological niche differentiatione6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“our results highlight differences in responses of the two tree species, which are taken to indicate differences in their ecological niche differentiation”
e4“grey alder (Alnus incana) and white birch (Betula pubescens) trees”