Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland)
<i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC., green alder, is a fast-growing shrub that grows expansively in the European mountainside. In Poland, <i>A. viridis</i> naturally occurs only in the Bieszczady Mountains (south-eastern part of the country), above the upper forest border. In th...
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/96 |
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| author | Andrzej Skoczowski Magdalena Odrzywolska-Hasiec Jakub Oliwa Iwona Ciereszko Andrzej Kornaś |
| author_facet | Andrzej Skoczowski Magdalena Odrzywolska-Hasiec Jakub Oliwa Iwona Ciereszko Andrzej Kornaś |
| author_sort | Andrzej Skoczowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC., green alder, is a fast-growing shrub that grows expansively in the European mountainside. In Poland, <i>A. viridis</i> naturally occurs only in the Bieszczady Mountains (south-eastern part of the country), above the upper forest border. In this study, we assessed the potential of green alder to expand in post-farming areas in the Bieszczady Mountains. We investigated the effects of topographical, climatic, and edaphic characteristics of four various study sites on the physiological and morphological properties of <i>A. viridis</i> leaves in order to answer the question whether the growth of plants in lower positions improves their physiological condition to such an extent that it increases the species invasiveness. This is the first comprehensive ecophysiological study of this species to be carried out in this part of Europe. The photochemical efficiency of PSII, the chlorophyll content, and leaf <sup>13</sup>C and <sup>15</sup>N discrimination were analyzed. On the basis of leaf radiation reflection, coefficients such as reflectance indices of anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids (ARI2, CRI1, FRI), photochemical index of reflection (PRI), and the water band index (WBI) were calculated. We observed favorable physiological effects in <i>A. viridis</i> plants growing in locations below the upper forest border compared to plants growing in higher locations. As a result, <i>A. viridis</i> may become an invasive species and disturb the phytocoenotic balance of plant communities of the altitudinal zones in the Polish Western Carpathians. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:26:51Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:26:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-3202688f20d742d28d27f3c5f934fd592023-11-21T08:45:03ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472021-01-011019610.3390/plants10010096Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland)Andrzej Skoczowski0Magdalena Odrzywolska-Hasiec1Jakub Oliwa2Iwona Ciereszko3Andrzej Kornaś4Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, PolandFaculty of Biology and Agriculture, University of Rzeszow, Ćwiklińskiej 1, 35-601 Rzeszów, PolandInstitute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, PolandFaculty of Biology, Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245 Bialystok, PolandInstitute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, Poland<i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC., green alder, is a fast-growing shrub that grows expansively in the European mountainside. In Poland, <i>A. viridis</i> naturally occurs only in the Bieszczady Mountains (south-eastern part of the country), above the upper forest border. In this study, we assessed the potential of green alder to expand in post-farming areas in the Bieszczady Mountains. We investigated the effects of topographical, climatic, and edaphic characteristics of four various study sites on the physiological and morphological properties of <i>A. viridis</i> leaves in order to answer the question whether the growth of plants in lower positions improves their physiological condition to such an extent that it increases the species invasiveness. This is the first comprehensive ecophysiological study of this species to be carried out in this part of Europe. The photochemical efficiency of PSII, the chlorophyll content, and leaf <sup>13</sup>C and <sup>15</sup>N discrimination were analyzed. On the basis of leaf radiation reflection, coefficients such as reflectance indices of anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids (ARI2, CRI1, FRI), photochemical index of reflection (PRI), and the water band index (WBI) were calculated. We observed favorable physiological effects in <i>A. viridis</i> plants growing in locations below the upper forest border compared to plants growing in higher locations. As a result, <i>A. viridis</i> may become an invasive species and disturb the phytocoenotic balance of plant communities of the altitudinal zones in the Polish Western Carpathians.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/96<sup>13</sup>C discriminationchlorophyll <i>a</i> fluorescencegreen alder<sup>15</sup>N discriminationJIP-testreflectance |
| spellingShingle | Andrzej Skoczowski Magdalena Odrzywolska-Hasiec Jakub Oliwa Iwona Ciereszko Andrzej Kornaś Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland) Plants <sup>13</sup>C discrimination chlorophyll <i>a</i> fluorescence green alder <sup>15</sup>N discrimination JIP-test reflectance |
| title | Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland) |
| title_full | Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland) |
| title_fullStr | Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland) |
| title_short | Ecophysiological Variability of <i>Alnus viridis</i> (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland) |
| title_sort | ecophysiological variability of i alnus viridis i chaix dc green alder leaves in the bieszczady mountains poland |
| topic | <sup>13</sup>C discrimination chlorophyll <i>a</i> fluorescence green alder <sup>15</sup>N discrimination JIP-test reflectance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/96 |
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