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Effects of Acidic Solutions on Sexual Reproduction of Pteridium aquilinum

1980; Wiley; Volume: 67; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2442427

1537-2197

Lance S. Evans, Christine A. Conway,

Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies

American Journal of BotanyVolume 67, Issue 6 p. 866-875 Article EFFECTS OF ACIDIC SOLUTIONS ON SEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF PTERIDIUM AQUILINUM Lance S. Evans, Lance S. Evans Laboratory of Plant Morphogenesis, Manhattan College, The Bronx, New York, 10471 Land and Freshwater Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Energy and Environment, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973Search for more papers by this authorChristine A. Conway, Christine A. Conway Laboratory of Plant Morphogenesis, Manhattan College, The Bronx, New York, 10471Search for more papers by this author Lance S. Evans, Lance S. Evans Laboratory of Plant Morphogenesis, Manhattan College, The Bronx, New York, 10471 Land and Freshwater Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Energy and Environment, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973Search for more papers by this authorChristine A. Conway, Christine A. Conway Laboratory of Plant Morphogenesis, Manhattan College, The Bronx, New York, 10471Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 July 1980 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1980.tb07716.xCitations: 10AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Experiments were performed to determine the effects of acidic solutions on spermatozoid motility and fertilization of gametophytes of Pteridium aquilinum. Buffered solutions (0.0025 m) were used to simulate exposures to acidic precipitation for up to a 3.5 hr exposure. Experimental results suggest that the spermatozoid population can be subdivided into several groups with respect to pH sensitivity; about 25% spermatozoids are immobile one min after exposure to pH 6.1 buffer while about an equal percentage remain motile after 30 min exposure to buffer of pH 5.1. Between these two response extremes are two other subpopulations. One is quite sensitive to pH but shows some recovery if pH is between 5.6 and 6.1, while the second subpopulation does not seem to exhibit any motility recovery at all but is more resistant to acidity than the first subpopulation. To complement experiments that evaluate spermatozoid responses, experiments were performed to view the process of fertilization under controlled environmental conditions as well as under the canopy of a forest. Fertilization of gametophytes in uncovered petri dishes under a forest canopy was similar to results in aseptic culture after gametophytes were exposed to various pH levels and 86.6 μM sulfate. Although there were some differences between results obtained under aseptic culture conditions and cultures maintained under a forest canopy, it is evident that a lower buffer pH decreased fertilization. Fertilization at pH 4.5 and 3.6 was about one-half that occurring at pH 6.1. Fertilization in gametophytes exposed to pH 3.0 was about 10-20% of that occurring at pH 6.1. Addition of 86.6 μM sulfate decreased fertilization under all culture conditions. These experimental results suggest that fertilization in P. aquilinum may be used as a bioindicator of contaminants in rainwater. The results demonstrate that spermatozoid motility (and the process of fertilization) is more acid sensitive than gametophytic and sporophytic tissues. Citing Literature Volume67, Issue6July 1980Pages 866-875 RelatedInformation