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PubMed1998

Relationships of ozone exposure to pine injury in the Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino Mountains of California, USA.

Hourly ambient ozone exposure data and crown injury measurements were gathered in the Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino Mountains of California to develop relationships between the Ozone Injury Index (OII), the Forest Pest Management Index (FPM), chlorotic mottle, fascicle retention (OII index components) and cumulative ambient ozone indices for Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws and Pinus jeffreyi Grev. and Balf. Eleven sites located in the mixed conifer forest near ambient ozone monitoring sites were evaluated annually for 4 years. Four other sites in the San Bernardino Mountains were evaluated for 1 year. Analyses showed OII to be functionally equivalent (r2 = 0.96) to the FPM, and to depend only on fascicle retention and chlorotic mottle (R2 = 0.95) of the fourth whorl (or if four whorls are not present at the site, then the last whorl present for the majority of trees). Significant associations were found between OII and 4-year 24-h. summer SUM0, SUM06, W126 and HRS80 ozone indices. Three sites had higher levels of cumulative chlorotic mottle for individual whorls and larger numbers of trees with visible crown injury than other sites with similar cumulative ambient ozone levels. Including an indicator variable to discriminate between these two groups of sites increased R2 and decreased root mean square (RMSE) for all indices, especially SUM0 (R2 = 0.93, RMSE reduced by 46%).

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Seedling insensitivity to ozone for three conifer species native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Field symptoms typical of ozone injury have been observed on several conifer species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and tropospheric ozone levels in the Park can be high, suggesting that ozone may be causing growth impairment of these plants. The objective of this research was to test the ozone sensitivity of selected conifer species under controlled exposure conditions. Seedlings of three species of conifers, Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens), Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), were exposed to various levels of ozone in open-top chambers for one to three seasons in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, USA. A combination of episodic profiles (1988) and modified ambient exposure regimes (1989-92) were used. Episodic profiles simulated an average 7-day period from a monitoring station in the Park. Treatments used in 1988 were: charcoal-filtered (CF), 1.0x ambient, 2.0x ambient, and ambient air-no chamber (AA). In 1989 a 1.5x ambient treatment was added, and in 1990, additional chambers were made available, allowing a 0.5x ambient treatment to be added. Height, diameter, and foliar injury were measured most years. Exposures were 3 years for Table Mountain pine (1988-90), 3 years for hemlock (1989-91), and 1 and 2 years for three different sets of Virginia pine (1990, 1990-91, and 1992). There were no significant (p<0.05) effects of ozone on any biomass fraction for any of the species, except for older needles in Table Mountain and Virginia pine, which decreased with ozone exposure. There were also no changes in biomass allocation patterns among species due to ozone exposure, except for Virginia pine in 1990, which showed an increase in the root:shoot ratio. There was foliar injury (chlorotic mottling) in the higher two treatments (1.0x and 2.0x for Table Mountain and 2.0x for Virginia pine), but high plant-to-plant variability obscured formal statistical significance in many cases. We conclude, at least for growth in the short-term, that seedlings of these three conifer species are insensitive to ambient and elevated levels of ozone, and that current levels of ozone in the Park are probably having minimal impacts on these particular species.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

[Humus functioning types in evergreen coniferous forests of the French Inner Alps].

Three humus forms that are widespread in the Inner Alps, a dysmull below Pinus sylvestris, an oligomull below Abies alba and a mor below Pinus cembra, were studied by following mineral nitrogen production and uptake and by a characterization of the pedofauna. Due to the production and uptake of nitrogen, mainly as nitrates and also due to the dominance of Lumbricids versus Arthropods, the oligomull was the sole humus form that functioned as a mull. Nevertheless relatively weak mineral nitrogen production and the dominance of endogeic soil-dwelling earthworms versus anecic earthworms demonstrated the moderate activity of this mull, which is representative of humus forms of old growth forests and cold climates. There was a discrepancy between the very low biological activity of the dysmull and its status of mull, while an observed bifunctioning between the different layers of this humus also differentiated it from the mor.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

[Maples at the sub-Alpine vegetation belt: a long history].

Pollen analysis was carried out on lacustrine sediment of a small hollow (15 m x 25 m) at the treeless sub-Alpine belt (202 m) of the inner Maurienne valley in the northern French Alps. A 2,500-year-long maple settlement was demonstrared. Three AMS dates of terrestrial plant macroremains support the chronology. First, Betula and Salix spread prior to 9,000 C14 BP. The first pollen grains of Acer, Abies and Pinus cembra are quoted at 8,600 C14 BP. High frequencies of Alnus glutinosa/incana (20%) and Acer (10%) show that mixed communities of Acer and Alnus persisted above the mountainous Abies forest between 7,490 and 5,850 C14 BP. After 5,850 C14 BP, the decrease in Acer stands could be attributed to fire as suggested by the strong increase in Betula and by the delayed expansion of Pinus cembra.

Altitude↗

PubMed2001

UV-B absorbance and UV-B absorbing compounds (para-coumaric acid) in pollen and sporopollenin: the perspective to track historic UV-B levels.

UV-B absorbance and UV-B absorbing compounds (UACs) of the pollen of Vicia faba, Betula pendula, Helleborus foetidus and Pinus sylvestris were studied. Sequential extraction demonstrated considerable UV-B absorbance both in the soluble (acid methanol) and insoluble sporopollenin (acetolysis resistant residue) fractions of UACs, while the wall-bound fraction of UACs was small. The UV-B absorbance of the soluble and sporopollenin fraction of pollen of Vicia faba plants exposed to enhanced UV-B (10 kJ m(-2) day(-1) UV-B(BE)) was higher than that of plants that received 0 kJ m(-2) day(-1) UV-B(BB). Pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS) analysis of pollen demonstrated that p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid formed part of the sporopollenin fraction of the pollen. The amount of these aromatic monomers in the sporopollenin of Vicia faba appeared to increase in response to enhanced UV-B (10 kJ m(-2) day(-1) UV-B(BE)). The detection limit of pyGC-MS was sufficiently low to quantify these phenolic acids in ten pollen grains of Betula and Pinus. The experimental data presented provide evidence for the possibility that polyphenolic compounds in pollen of plants are indicators of solar UV-B and may be applied as a new proxy for the reconstruction of historic variation in solar UV-B levels.

Coumaric Acids↗

PubMed2001

A comparative, volumetric survey of airborne pollen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1991-1997) and Cherry Hill, New Jersey (1995-1997).

BACKGROUND: Aeroallergen sampling provides information regarding the onset, duration, and severity of the pollen season that clinicians use to guide allergen selection for skin testing and treatment. OBJECTIVE: This atmospheric survey reports: 1) airborne pollen contributors in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1991 to 1997) and suburban Cherry Hill, New Jersey (1995 to 1997); 2) pollen onset, duration, and peak level; and 3) the relationship between airborne pollen and selected meteorologic variables. METHODS: At both locations, separated by 11 km. sampling was performed with a volumetric Rotorod Sampler (Sampling Technologies, Minnetonka, MN). RESULTS: In Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, respectively, 3-year average measurements included 75.0 and 74.2% tree pollen, 10.2 and 8.3% grass pollen, and 14.8 and 17.5% weed pollen. Prominent airborne pollen taxa were Acer, Quercus, Betula, Pinus, Cupressaceae, Poaceae, Ambrosia, and Rumex. The tree, grass, and weed pollen seasons extended from mid-March to mid-June, late April to mid-June, and mid-August to late September, respectively. A secondary Poaceae pollen peak occurred in September. There was a statistically significant correlation between simultaneous weekly average pollen levels in Philadelphia and in Cherry Hill (Acer, r(p) = 0.987, Quercus, r(p) = 0.645, Betula, r(p) = 0.896, Pinus, r(p) = 0.732, Cupressaceae, r(p) = 0.695, Poaceae, r(p) = 0.950, Ambrosia, r(p) = 0.903, and Rumex, r(p) = 0.572, P <0.001). Daily Poaceae pollen levels were positively influenced by same-day high temperature (r(s) = 0.333 in Philadelphia and r(s) = 0.426 in Cherry Hill, P < 0.05). Daily Ambrosia pollen levels were inversely influenced by same-day total precipitation (r(s) = -0.174 in Philadelphia and r(s) = -0.257 in Cherry Hill, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first volumetric survey performed in either Philadelphia or Cherry Hill. Copious amounts of airborne pollen were seen from late April to early May and in early September. Pollen onset, duration, and year-to-year variability were similar at both sites. An awareness of local aeroallergen patterns is critical in the effective testing and treatment of atopic individuals.

Air Pollution↗

PubMed2003

Albatrellus citrinus sp. nov., connected to Picea abies on lime rich soils.

Field observations indicated that a morphotype of Albatrellus subrubescens seemed connected to Picea abies and lime rich soils, while the original morphotype seemed connected with Pinus sylvestris and indifferent to lime. We conducted a molecular study (ITS sequencing of 22 Albatrellus specimens) to test the hypothesis that we in fact had discovered a new species. Our results confirmed the hypothesis, i.e. the Picea taxon (604 bp ITS) had little intraspecific variation in spite of 1600 km distance between samples, but compared with the Pinus taxon (598 bp ITS) the sequence difference was constantly 5.6% regardless of close distance (75 km). We describe the new species A. citrinus, which apart from ecology and ITS sequence, is different from A. subrubescens by a distinct yellowing with age, lack of dark spots of the cap, a mild taste and somewhat narrower spores. A. citrinus seems to be more related to A. ovinus than to A. subrubescens, and A. syringae may not even be a true Albatrellus.

Basidiomycota↗

PubMed2001

Effects of climatic warming on cold hardiness of some northern woody plants assessed from simulation experiments.

Effects of climatic warming on cold hardiness were investigated for some northern woody plants. In the first experiment, seedlings of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) were exposed to naturally fluctuating temperatures averaging -6 degrees C (ambient) and 0 degrees C (elevated) for 16 weeks in midwinter before they were thawed and re-saturated with water. In lodgepole pine, needle sugar concentrations had decreased by 15%, and the temperature needed to induce 10% injury to needles in terms of electrolyte leakage had increased by 6 degrees C following treatment to elevated as compared with control temperatures. In contrast, Norway spruce and Scots pine showed no effects. The lack of an effect for Scots pine was ascribed to seedlings containing unusually large energy reserves that buffered respiratory expenditure of sugars. A strong, linear relationship between levels of cold hardiness, assessed by the electrolyte leakage method, and sugars was found when combining data from this and previous, similar experiments. In the second experiment, the evergreen dwarf shrub Empetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup was analysed for leaf cold hardiness, using the electrolyte leakage method, and sugar concentrations in late spring and late autumn during the third year of a warming experiment in a subarctic dwarf shrub community. The objective was to test the hypothesis that warming in the growing season alters hardening/dehardening cycles by increasing soil nitrogen mineralization and plant growth. Data found, however, suggested that cold hardening/dehardening cycles were unaffected by warming.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Ozone treatment affects pigment precursor metabolism in pine seedlings.

Five-week-old seedlings of Pinus halepensis Mill. and Pinus brutia Ten. were exposed to air polluted with ozone (O3) (250 nl l-1, 12 h day-1 for 4 days) or to ambient air containing ca 10-20 nl l-1 O3, in the light (180 &mgr;mol m-2 s-1 photosynthetic photon flux density [PPFD], 12 h day-1) and then fed for 24 h in the light (100 &mgr;mol m-2 s-1 PPFD) with various radioactive precursors of chlorophyll (Chl) and carotene biosynthesis: 5-[4-14C]-aminolevulinic acid (14C-ALA), L-[14C(U)]-glutamic acid (14C-Glu), or D,L-[2-14C]-mevalonic acid (14C-MVA). Pigments were then extracted from cotyledons and fully expanded needles. Chl a and carotene were separated by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography and their specific activities were determined. 14C-ALA and 14C-Glu labels were incorporated into Chl a and carotene. Exposure to O3 did not inhibit incorporation of 14C-ALA into Chl a molecules, but hydrolysis of Chl a showed that O3 inhibited phytol labelling of Chl a. Labelling of carotene was also inhibited by O3, but not when 14C-MVA was used as the label. These data suggest that O3 treatment inhibits (directly or indirectly) the biosynthesis of isoprenoids from products of ALA and Glu metabolism in the plastid, but not from MVA in the cytosol. This inhibition was more prominent when 14C-ALA was used as the label than when 14C-Glu was the labelling precursor. A significant increase in pheophorbide a, a tetrapyrrole component of Chl a labelling, and a concomitant decrease in phytol labelling was observed following incubation of O3-treated pine seedlings with 14C-ALA and 14C-Glu. Stronger inhibition of carotene biosynthesis and activation of Chl a tetrapyrrole labelling by 14C-ALA (in comparison with 14C-Glu) indicated that exposure to O3 inhibits the conversion of ALA to Glu as the first step in ALA catabolism. These results also suggested a more intensive Glu metabolism (in comparison with ALA) for carotene biosynthesis in the cytosol, as well as cooperation between two pathways of isopentenyl diphosphate biosynthesis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Scots pine expresses short-root-specific peroxidases during development.

Nine short-root-specific proteins from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) detected and isolated as individual spots by 2D-PAGE were identified. The similar peptide mass maps obtained for all nine polypeptide spots together with lectin-blotting results suggest that they represent forms of the same modified protein. N-Terminal sequence analysis of two of the peptides showed high similarity to peroxidases. RT-PCR with oligonucleotide primers corresponding to determined peptide sequences and conserved regions in plant peroxidases led to isolation of Psyp1 cDNA which is most abundantly expressed in short roots. Psyp1 is the first peroxidase cDNA to be isolated from the genus Pinus. It encodes a 363-amino-acid class-III peroxidase with a calculated molecular mass of 35.7 kDa and theoretical pI of 4.74. The predicted PSYP1 amino-acid sequence is grouped with other class-III peroxidases in phylogenetic analyses, but it has a unique amino-acid sequence which may be associated with its function in short roots or with its phylogenetic group. The presence of a signal sequence for extracellular transport indicates that PSYP1 belongs to the group of secreted class-III peroxidases. The presence of 10 tyrosine residues and putative auxin-binding regions in PSYP1 suggests that the function of the enzyme is associated with cell-wall formation in short roots. The downregulation of Psyp1 expression in symbiotic short roots hosting the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus bovinus is perhaps related to the change in cell-wall structure necessary for ectomycorrhizal development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Chloroplast DNA polymorphisms in lodgepole and jack pines and their hybrids.

Samples taken from throughout the ranges of distribution of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) were assayed for Sal I and Sst I chloroplast DNA restriction fragment variation. Although the chloroplast genome is often regarded as highly conserved, at least 2 distinct Sal I and 13 distinct Sst I restriction fragment banding patterns occur in these closely related species. None of the chloroplast DNA restriction fragment banding patterns observed in allopatric lodgepole pine was observed in allopatric populations of jack pine, and vice versa, even though the two species share an extensive zone of sympatry, and gene flow between the species has been reported for nuclear genes. However, several atypical Sst I restriction fragment banding patterns occur only in or near the zone of sympatry. Chloroplasts have been reported to be inherited maternally in the great majority of species studied; however, restriction fragment analyses indicated that chloroplasts are inherited paternally in controlled matings between lodgepole pine (female) and jack pine (male).

Canada↗

PubMed1997

A simple and rapid method for isolation of high quality genomic DNA from fruit trees and conifers using PVP.

Because DNA degradation is mediated by secondary plant products such as phenolic terpenoids, the isolation of high quality DNA from plants containing a high content of polyphenolics has been a difficult problem. We demonstrate an easy extraction process by modifying several existing ones. Using this process we have found it possible to isolate DNAs from four fruit trees, grape (Vitis spp.), apple (Malus spp.), pear (Pyrus spp.) and persimmon (Diospyros spp.) and four species of conifer, Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis,Taxus cuspidata and Juniperus chinensis within a few hours. Compared with the existing method, we have isolated high quality intact DNAs (260/280 = 1.8-2.0) routinely yielding 250-500 ng/microl (total 7.5-15 microg DNA from four to five tissue discs).

DNA, Plant↗

PubMed1995

Aluminum sensitivity of loblolly pine and slash pine seedlings grown in solution culture.

To probe variation in Al sensitivity of two co-occurring pine species, seedlings from six full-sib families of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) were grown in solution culture containing 4.4 mM (high-Al) or 0.01 mM (low-Al) AlCl(3) at pH 4 for 58 days. On average, both pine species had 41% less total dry weight in the high-Al treatment than in the low-Al treatment. Stem volume growth of slash pine was more sensitive to the high-Al treatment than that of loblolly pine. In both species, the high-Al treatment inhibited root dry weight more than shoot dry weight. Within-species variation in Al sensitivity among families was greater in loblolly pine (24 to 52% inhibition of seedling dry weight) than in slash pine (35 to 47% inhibition of seedling dry weight). Foliar Al concentration was positively correlated with Al sensitivity in slash pine but not in loblolly pine; however, in both species, the concentration of Al in roots was 20-fold greater than in foliage.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

To live fast or not: growth, vigor and longevity of old-growth ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine trees.

Old trees of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) were studied to determine volume growth patterns in relation to leaf area. Ponderosa pine trees varied in age from 166 to 432 years and were about 77 cm in diameter; lodgepole pine trees varied in age from 250 to 296 years and were about 31 cm in diameter. With the exception of several ponderosa pine trees less than 200 years old, trees of both species had flattened tops, heavy branches, and foliage distribution characteristically found only in the oldest trees. After trees were felled, annual volume increments were determined from crossdated radial increments measured on discs at 4-m height intervals, and leaf areas were determined based on leaf area/branch sapwood area ratios for 1/5 sections of the crown for each tree. In ponderosa pine, three distinct volume growth patterns occurred: (1) a gradual increase in annual volume growth until felling; (2) a more rapid increase in growth to a plateau that persisted for a century or more; and (3) a rapid increase in growth followed by a generally sudden decrease in growth to less than half the earlier rates, and persisting at these lower rates for as long as seven decades. In lodgepole pine, fewer trees exhibited the sudden growth decline observed in ponderosa pine. Most short-term growth variations in ponderosa pine were synchronized among all trees, suggesting a common climatic signal. In lodgepole pine, annual variations in volume growth were slight. Volume growth in the most recent years before felling was weakly correlated with leaf area at the time of felling (r(2) = 0.45 for both species). However, in both species, trees having a high volume growth rate and leaf area at the time of felling had grown slowly when young, whereas trees having low volume growth rate and leaf area at felling grew rapidly when young. Thus a wide range of early and late growth patterns can lead to old-growth conditions in these species. Growth efficiencies (grams of dry matter per m(2) total leaf area) were generally higher for trees having the lowest leaf areas, and in almost all cases were below 100 g m(-2).

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of CO(2) enrichment on growth and root (15)NH(4) (+) uptake rate of loblolly pine and ponderosa pine seedlings.

We examined changes in root growth and (15)NH(4) (+) uptake capacity of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas. Ex Laws.) seedlings that were grown in pots in a phytotron at CO(2) partial pressures of 35 or 70 Pa with NH(4) (+) as the sole N source. Kinetics of (15)N-labeled NH(4) (+) uptake were determined in excised roots, whereas total NH(4) (+) uptake and uptake rates were determined in intact root systems following a 48-h labeling of intact seedlings with (15)N. In both species, the elevated CO(2) treatment caused a significant downregulation of (15)NH(4) (+) uptake capacity in excised roots as a result of a severe inhibition of the maximum rate of root (15)NH(4) (+) uptake (V(max)). Rates of (15)NH(4) (+) uptake in intact roots were, however, unaffected by CO(2) treatment and were on average 4- to 10-fold less than the V(max) in excised roots, suggesting that (15)NH(4) (+) absorption from the soil was not limited by the kinetics of root (15)NH(4) (+) uptake. Despite the lack of a CO(2) effect on intact root absorption rates, (15)NH(4) (+) uptake on a per plant basis was enhanced at high CO(2) concentrations in both species, with the relative increase being markedly higher in ponderosa pine than in loblolly pine. High CO(2) concentration increased total (15)NH(4) (+) uptake and the fraction of total biomass allocated to fine roots (< 2 mm in diameter) to a similar relative extent. We suggest that the increased uptake on a per plant basis in response to CO(2) enrichment is largely the result of a compensatory increase in root absorbing surfaces.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Growth and photosynthetic responses of four Virginia Piedmont tree species to shade.

To determine the effects of shade on biomass, carbon allocation patterns and photosynthetic response, seedlings of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), white pine (Pinus strobus L.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) were grown without shade or in shade treatments providing a 79 or 89% reduction of full sunlight for two growing seasons. The shade treatments resulted in less total biomass for all species, with loblolly pine showing the greatest shade-induced growth reduction. Yellow-poplar was the only species to show increased stem height growth in the 89% shade treatment. The shade treatments increased specific leaf area of all species. Quantum efficiency, dark respiration and light compensation point were generally not affected by the shade treatments. Quantum efficiency, dark respiration, maximum photosynthesis and light compensation point did not change consistently between the first and second growing seasons. We conclude that differences in shade tolerance among these species are not the result of changes in the photosynthetic mechanism in response to shade.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

Influence of ectomycorrhizal fungal inoculation on growth and root IAA concentrations of transplanted conifers.

We determined whether in vitro plant growth regulator production by mycorrhizal fungi is correlated with conifer seedling growth and root IAA concentrations. Container-grown seedlings of interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) were inoculated at seeding with ectomycorrhizal fungi having a high, moderate or low capacity to produce either IAA or ethylene in vitro. Inoculated seedlings were grown for one season in the nursery, harvested in December, cold stored over winter and then transplanted to either a nursery field or a forest site in the spring. Seedling morphology and endogenous IAA in roots were measured immediately after cold storage and again six and 12 months after transplanting. Morphological responses to inoculation varied among different mycorrhizal fungi. Free IAA concentration of roots was increased in some inoculation treatments for all conifer species. In seedlings transplanted to a nursery field, in vitro ethylene-producing capacity of the ectomycorrhizal fungi was highly correlated with more morphological features than in vitro IAA-producing capacity. Both IAA- and ethylene-producing capacity were significantly correlated with more morphological features in seedlings transplanted to a forest site than in seedings transplanted to a nursery field. One year after transplanting, only in vitro IAA-producing capacity was correlated with endogenous IAA concentration of roots of the inoculated seedlings. We conclude that growth responses of conifer seedlings can be partially influenced by IAA and ethylene produced by ectomycorrhizal fungal symbionts.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

A rapid and simple method for processing wood to crude cellulose for analysis of stable carbon isotopes in tree rings.

For analysis of carbon isotope discrimination in wood, cellulose or holocellulose is often preferred to whole tissue because of the variability in isotopic composition of different wood components and the relative immobility of cellulose. Most currently used methods for the preparation of wood components for stable isotope analysis (e.g., the Jayme-Wise method) produce a residue of holocellulose. The Jayme-Wise method was initially developed to extract holocellulose from small (~1 g) samples of wood, and, despite subsequent modifications, the method requires specialized glassware, considerable time and entails the risk of sample loss. For carbon isotope analysis, we adapted an acid-catalyzed solvolytic method for preparing crude cellulose by treating wood meal with acidified di-glycol methyl ether (diglyme). The one-step process requires no special glassware, is complete within 24 hours and enables over 100 samples to be processed in a day. This method gives similar delta(13)C values to the Jayme-Wise method for wood of Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Pinus radiata D. Don and Pinus pinaster Ait. The relationship between delta(13)C of wood and crude cellulose is as strong as that observed between wood and alpha-cellulose and stronger than that observed between wood and holocellulose in other species. These relationships suggest that variation in delta(13)C of wood may result from hemicellulose and that analysis of stable carbon isotopes in crude cellulose is preferable. If the consistent -0.3 bias in the value of delta(13)C of cellulose resulting from residual lignin is corrected for, then the relationship between delta(13)C of wood and crude cellulose may be used to predict delta(13)C of cellulose from a small sub-sample. The method is well suited to species with low concentrations of extractives, but further testing is needed to assess its general applicability.

Journal Article↗