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Ch. 34 - Plant Form and Function
Chapter 33, Problem 13

Plants experience a vast array of conditions that can alter their growth and development, including temperature and availability of water, nutrients, and light. They are also exposed to pollutants such as acid rain formed largely as a result of burning fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions. Acid rain can strip minerals and nutrients from the soil, and eat away the outer waxy layer of tissue that protects a plant. Acid rain is still a major environmental problem in certain regions. How does acid rain affect plant growth? Which meristem was likely affected in the chinaberry tree?

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Step 1: Understand the problem. The question is asking how acid rain affects plant growth and which meristem is likely affected in the chinaberry tree. Acid rain is a result of pollutants in the atmosphere that can strip minerals and nutrients from the soil and damage the protective outer layer of plants.
Step 2: Recall what you know about acid rain and its effects on plants. Acid rain can lower the pH of the soil, making it more acidic. This can affect the availability of essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are crucial for plant growth. It can also damage the plant's protective outer layer, making it more susceptible to disease and other environmental stressors.
Step 3: Apply this knowledge to the specific case of the chinaberry tree. The meristem is the region of a plant where growth takes place. In the case of the chinaberry tree, the apical meristem, which is responsible for vertical growth, would likely be affected by acid rain. This is because the apical meristem is exposed and would come into direct contact with the acid rain.
Step 4: Consider the broader implications. Acid rain can have a significant impact on plant growth and development, potentially leading to reduced crop yields and loss of biodiversity. It's important to understand these effects in order to mitigate the impact of acid rain on our environment.
Step 5: Summarize your findings. Acid rain affects plant growth by altering the pH of the soil and damaging the plant's protective outer layer. In the chinaberry tree, the apical meristem is likely affected.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Acid Rain

Acid rain refers to precipitation that has a lower pH than normal, primarily due to the presence of sulfuric and nitric acids formed from pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. This acidic precipitation can harm plants by leaching essential nutrients from the soil and damaging plant tissues, particularly the protective cuticle, leading to increased vulnerability to disease and environmental stress.
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Meristematic Tissue

Meristematic tissue is a type of plant tissue responsible for growth, consisting of undifferentiated cells that can divide and differentiate into various types of plant cells. There are two main types of meristems: apical meristems, located at the tips of roots and shoots, and lateral meristems, which contribute to the thickness of stems and roots. Damage to meristematic tissue can significantly impact a plant's growth and development.
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Impact of Environmental Stress on Plants

Environmental stress, such as that caused by acid rain, can adversely affect plant growth by disrupting physiological processes like photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and water regulation. Stress can lead to stunted growth, reduced biomass, and increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. Understanding how plants respond to such stressors is crucial for assessing their health and resilience in changing environments.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Trees can be killed by girdling—the removal of bark and vascular cambium in a ring all the way around the tree. Explain why.

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Textbook Question

Plants experience a vast array of conditions that can alter their growth and development, including temperature and availability of water, nutrients, and light. They are also exposed to pollutants such as acid rain formed largely as a result of burning fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions. Acid rain can strip minerals and nutrients from the soil, and eat away the outer waxy layer of tissue that protects a plant. Acid rain is still a major environmental problem in certain regions. How does acid rain affect plant growth? Develop a hypothesis on the likely effects of acid rain on primary growth in trees. Based on your hypothesis, make some predictions about the impact of acid rain on the height of tree trunks.

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Textbook Question

Plants experience a vast array of conditions that can alter their growth and development, including temperature and availability of water, nutrients, and light. They are also exposed to pollutants such as acid rain formed largely as a result of burning fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions. Acid rain can strip minerals and nutrients from the soil, and eat away the outer waxy layer of tissue that protects a plant. Acid rain is still a major environmental problem in certain regions. How does acid rain affect plant growth? Researchers tested the effects of acid rain (pH 2.0) on seedlings of two different species, camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) and chinaberry tree (Melia azederach), using distilled water as a control. Results of the experiments are shown here. Note that acid rain caused a significant reduction of growth in chinaberry trees (*** means P < 0.001), but not in camphor trees. What was the approximate percentage of growth reduction observed in the chinaberry trees treated with acid rain?

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Textbook Question

Plants experience a vast array of conditions that can alter their growth and development, including temperature and availability of water, nutrients, and light. They are also exposed to pollutants such as acid rain formed largely as a result of burning fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions. Acid rain can strip minerals and nutrients from the soil, and eat away the outer waxy layer of tissue that protects a plant. Acid rain is still a major environmental problem in certain regions. How does acid rain affect plant growth? Give a plausible explanation for the differential effect of acid rain on height in camphor and chinaberry trees (i.e., what structural features might offer more protection from acid rain in one species versus another?).

291
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Textbook Question

Plants experience a vast array of conditions that can alter their growth and development, including temperature and availability of water, nutrients, and light. They are also exposed to pollutants such as acid rain formed largely as a result of burning fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions. Acid rain can strip minerals and nutrients from the soil, and eat away the outer waxy layer of tissue that protects a plant. Acid rain is still a major environmental problem in certain regions. How does acid rain affect plant growth? Based on the results presented here, predict the impact of acid rain on the vascular cambium in the two species. How would that effect be apparent in the amount of wood produced in the tree trunks?

329
views
Textbook Question

Plants experience a vast array of conditions that can alter their growth and development, including temperature and availability of water, nutrients, and light. They are also exposed to pollutants such as acid rain formed largely as a result of burning fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions. Acid rain can strip minerals and nutrients from the soil, and eat away the outer waxy layer of tissue that protects a plant. Acid rain is still a major environmental problem in certain regions. How does acid rain affect plant growth? Beyond primary and secondary growth, what other aspects of plant growth might be negatively affected when plants are exposed to environmental stress?

313
views