Abstract Detail

Recent Topics Posters

Bodin, Emily [1], Clark, Megan [1], Gundry, Shawnee [1], Mrozinski, Ashley [1], Toole, Tyler [1], Willingham, Tara [1], Baghai-Riding, Nina Lucille [1].

Stomatal density/carbon dioxide leaf peel study for three woody plant species in the Mississippi Delta.

Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas and is associated with global warming. Atmospheric levels of CO₂ have increased over the past 200 years largely due to anthropogenic impacts. In the northern hemisphere, previous studies have implied that leaf stomatal density decreases as the concentration of atmospheric CO₂ increases. Students enrolled in BIO 415- Materials and Methods in Environmental Science wanted to determine whether differences in leaf stomatal density reflected this pattern. They decided to analyze three woody plant species that grow in the Mississippi Delta: two native species, Acer rubrum L. (red maple) and Quercus nigra L. (water oak), and an exotic species, Pyrus calleryana Decne. (Bradford pear).  Twenty-six Delta State University herbarium specimens, spanning in time from 1960 - 2013 were selected. Fast drying, clear nail polish was applied to mature leaves to make lower leaf epidermal impressions. Stomatal frequency for a microscopic area of 0.45 mm in diameter, stomata density per cm², and the length of stomata were tabulated from the different peels. Rainfall and temperature data from NOAA – National Center for Environmental Information and CO₂ weekly records from Mauna Loa Station in Hawaii were obtained for this time interval. Results showed that Pyrus calleryana had the lowest stomatal frequency (13 – 40) per field of view and density (11,310 – 20,020 per cm²) yet these stomatal pores were longer in length. In contrast Acer rubrum had the highest stomata frequency (32 – 114) per microscopic field of view and highest density per cm² (32,890 – 69,290) on the adaxial surface. These stomatal pores tended to be small and difficult to measure, ranging in size from 8 – 14 μm. Stomatal frequency for Quercus nigra varied from 25 – 92 per field of view and its stomatal density ranged from 30,680 – 51,480. All three species, however, did not appear to illustrate an inverse, negative relationship between mean stomatal frequency and historical rise in CO_2. More data is required before an actual assessment can be made about the relationship of CO₂/stomatal density for these three species. DSU students would welcome high school students, other universities, and citizens to help with this low-cost project. Information could be tied to ‘Project BudBurst’ that is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

1 - Delta State University, Department of Biological Sciences, PO Box 3262 DSU, Cleveland, MS, 38733, USA

Keywords:
Stomatal density
Carbon dioxide
Acer rubrum
Quercus nigra
Pyrus calleryana.

Presentation Type: Recent Topics Poster
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PRT023
Abstract ID:1807
Candidate for Awards:None