Acid rain causes damages to forest ecosystems. Here, we reported that acid rain could promote plant growth. From 2006 to 2009, one-year-old Elaeocarpus glabripetalus seedlings were sprayed with simulated acid rain (AR) (pH 2.5, 4.0, and 5.6). The maximum quantum yield efficiency of PSII and the actual photochemical quantum efficiency of PSII increased with rising AR acidity, which facilitated chlorophyll fluorescence and plant growth, as shown by a declining minimal fluorescence yield of dark-adapted state with little damage to the PSII reaction center. After the second experimental year, the plant height and ground diameter were greater at pH 2.5 than those found at pH 4.0 and 5.6. This showed the positive effects of AR on the seedling growth and photosynthesis of E. glabripetalus, revealing that this species exhibited a stronger resistance to acid deposition than some other tree species. This implies that E. glabripetalus is an acid-tolerant species., M.H. Liu, L.T. Yi, S.Q. Yu, F. Yu, X.M. Yin., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effects of simulated acid rain on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and anti-oxidative enzyme activity in cucumber seedlings (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jingchun No. 4) were investigated. Acid rain significantly reduced net photosynthetic rate and mainly non-stomatal factors contributed to the decrease of photosynthesis during the experimental period. The reduced photosynthesis was associated with a decreased maximal photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) and the average quantum yield of the photosystem 2 (PS2) reaction centres (ΦPS2). Meanwhile, acid rain significantly increased the activities of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), but decreased the activity of catalase (CAT) together with an increased content of malonyldialdehyde (MDA), Hence the changes in photosynthesis in acid rain treatment might be a secondary effect of acidity damage probably due to lipid peroxidation of lipids and proteins in thylakoid membrane rather than direct effect on PS2 reaction centre. and Jing-Quan Yu, Su-Feng Ye, Li-Feng Huang.
Acid rain is a serious environmental problem and has obvious impacts on the growth, reproduction, and photosynthesis of terrestrial plants. Ulva prolifera, a main blooming species of green tides, was studied on its physiological response to acid rain. The photosynthetic parameters were determined under different conditions (salinity: 1, 10, 30‰; pH: 3.0, 3.5, 4.5; duration: 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 h) followed by 24-h recovering under natural conditions. Results showed 1-h treatment with pH 3.5 caused 50-70% reduction in the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ФPSII) at normal salinity but when the low pH was combined with a salinity of 10‰ or lower, PSII activity was almost completely inhibited. Moreover, the low salinity (1‰ and 10‰) reduced the degree of photoprotection under low pH (3.5) conditions. Finally, we speculated if the pH of acid rain ≤ 3.5, with 1‰ salinity and 2-h rainfall time, the amount of U. prolifera and the scale of green tides would decrease.