Projects / Programmes
The study of interactions between the influences of tropospheric O3 and fertilization with N on indication plants
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.03.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Biology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B220 |
Biomedical sciences |
Genetics, cytogenetics |
| B310 |
Biomedical sciences |
Physiology of vascular plants |
| B390 |
Biomedical sciences |
Phytotechny, horticulture, crop protection, phytopathology |
brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), shallot (Allium cepa L. var ascalonicum), ozone, N-fertilization, ecophysiological indicators, plant pigments, ascorbic acid, alfa tocopherol, ecotoxicological indicators, chromosomal aberrations, mitotic activity
Researchers (8)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Ozone is an air pollutant that is formed from primary air pollutants. It is often found away from the sources of its precursors. Among the measured air pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and ozone) ozone has the greatest oxidation potential and can therefore cause oxidative stress in organisms sooner than other pollutants. Physical-chemical measurements of ozone levels reveal high concentrations of ozone in rural areas of Slovenia. High ozone concentrations are frequent in summer when the growth and development of vegetation is most active. However, the results obtained by measuring the concentrations of air pollutants do not offer any direct conclusions about the impacts of pollutants on the organisms in those areas. The impact of an air pollutant depends on its quantity as well as on numerous other factors, e.g. climate, nutrients, predisposition, age of organisms, simultaneous impact of other pollutants, etc. Therefore bioindication organisms are a very useful tool in researches. As ozone bioindicator plants we have chosen white clover (Trifolium repens 'Regal') and brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea L.), as a control species to determine changes on cytogenetic level shallot (Allium cepa L. var ascalonicum) has been selected. The responses of white clover and brown knapweed to ozone will be observed in natural environment on biochemical, physiological, morphological, cytogenetical and production levels. By the application of nitrogen the plants tolerance to ozone within the species will be defined. Both experimental sites, Vnajnarje near Ljubljana and Zavodnje near Šoštanj thermal power plant, will be chosen in rural areas with automatic measuring stations in the vicinity; measurements of main air pollutants (ozone, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides), air temperature and relative air humidity. In 2005 Šoštanj thermal power plant will carry out the sanation of increasing emission of NOx. In accordance with that the decrease in deposition of nitrogen is expected and as a consequence there will be changes in response of bioindication plants.
