Abstract
Urban vegetation is a fundamental element and the keystone of urban ecological systems. Significant air pollution can affect plant functional traits. In this work we study the response of selected leaf functional traits (leaf pigments concentration, leaf area, specific leaf area, relative water content) and reproductive effort (no of staminate inflorescences, no of fructifications, seeds no, no and length of fructification axes) of pioneer tree, Betula pendula Roth to air pollution stress in the urban ecosystem. 21 trees in 3 zones, growing under different long-term air PM2.5 and PM10 (particulate matter ø ≤ 2.5 μm and ø ≤ 10 μm, respectively) concentration, land use and two seasons were studied. We confirmed air pollution stress has a profound effect on selected plant traits. The leaf chlorophyll b (Chl b) content, specific leaf area, and relative water content are highest in most polluted city centre and decrease to the peripheries, while chlorophyll a remains constant over zones. Moreover, the reproductive effort measured by the number and length of fructification axes were lowest in city centre. Overall the consistent patterns of variation of Chl b and reproductive effort in birch across gradient studied underscore their usability as easy to measure and low cost indicators of air quality in urban environments.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
leaf chlorophyll b (Chl b) content was highest in the polluted centre and decreased toward the periphery.
- Taxon
- Betula pendula Roth
Betula pendulae1 - Outcome
- leaf chlorophyll b (Chl b) contente0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Setting
- most polluted city centree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The leaf chlorophyll b (Chl b) content, specific leaf area, and relative water content are highest in most polluted city centre and decrease to the peripheries”
e1“Betula pendula Roth to air pollution stress”
Claim · model-written summary
specific leaf area was highest in the polluted centre and decreased toward the periphery.
- Taxon
- Betula pendula RothBetula pendulae1
- Outcome
- specific leaf areae0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Setting
- most polluted city centree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The leaf chlorophyll b (Chl b) content, specific leaf area, and relative water content are highest in most polluted city centre and decrease to the peripheries”
e1“Betula pendula Roth to air pollution stress”
Claim · model-written summary
relative water content was highest in the polluted centre and decreased toward the periphery.
- Taxon
- Betula pendula RothBetula pendulae1
- Outcome
- relative water contente0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Setting
- most polluted city centree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The leaf chlorophyll b (Chl b) content, specific leaf area, and relative water content are highest in most polluted city centre and decrease to the peripheries”
e1“Betula pendula Roth to air pollution stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorophyll a remained constant across zones.
- Taxon
- Betula pendula RothBetula pendulae1
- Outcome
- chlorophyll ae0
- Direction
- constante0
- Setting
- zonese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“chlorophyll a remains constant over zones.”
e1“Betula pendula Roth to air pollution stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Fructification axes were fewer in the city centre.
- Taxon
- Betula pendula RothBetula pendulae1
- Outcome
- number and length of fructification axese0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Setting
- city centree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the reproductive effort measured by the number and length of fructification axes were lowest in city centre.”
e1“Betula pendula Roth to air pollution stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Fructification axes were shortest in the city centre.
- Taxon
- Betula pendula RothBetula pendulae1
- Outcome
- length of fructification axese0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Setting
- city centree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the reproductive effort measured by the number and length of fructification axes were lowest in city centre.”
e1“Betula pendula Roth to air pollution stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorophyll b and reproductive effort may serve as air-quality indicators.
Verbatim
e0“the consistent patterns of variation of Chl b and reproductive effort in birch across gradient studied underscore their usability as easy to measure and low cost indicators of air quality in urban environments.”