Publication Date:
2017-04-04
Description:
Cuticle micromorphology together with epidermal and epistomatal wax, in both current- and first-year-old
needles of conifer Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) trees growing under volcanic gas fumigation was analysed
in Pisciarelli area, Campi Flegrei, Southern Italy. As a control, current- and first-year-old needles growing far
from volcanic gas emission were also sampled. Using a multidisciplinary approach with SEM, TEM and X-ray,
volcanic gases were shown to cause degradation on epicuticular and epistomatal waxes. Significant statistical
variations of ultrastructural components of the cuticle, with 30 measurements, including total thickness of
the cuticle, and details and proportions of all different layers, and use of confidence interval, revealed a
high degree of sensitivity of Aleppo pine to this extreme environment. In the present study, non-significant
thickness variations of the cell wall plus cuticle among current- and first-year-old needles of both fumigated
and non fumigated trees have been found. However, at the ultrastructural level, significant variations in cell wall
and total cuticle thickness, especially within the three zones of B1 fibrillar layer, revealed different equilibria for
each of the four types of material. Using energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, no sulphur was found in either
cuticle or epidermal cells, but the presence of H2S in the fumarole gas is suspected to cause indirect and/or direct
cuticle alterations of wax structure. Ultrastructural characters of plant cuticles related to emission of volcanic
gases during the geological past are also discussed. Among these considerations, an identification key enabling
distinction between non fumigated and fumigated materials with 9 characters, provides a good tool detecting
the influence of volcanism for extant and fossil plants.
Description:
Published
Description:
1–17
Description:
1.2. TTC - Sorveglianza geochimica delle aree vulcaniche attive
Description:
2.4. TTC - Laboratori di geochimica dei fluidi
Description:
4.5. Studi sul degassamento naturale e sui gas petroliferi
Description:
JCR Journal
Description:
restricted
Keywords:
Campi Flegrei
;
Volcanic gases
;
Pinus halepensis
;
Hydrogen sulphide (H2S)
;
04. Solid Earth::04.03. Geodesy::04.03.06. Measurements and monitoring
;
04. Solid Earth::04.04. Geology::04.04.12. Fluid Geochemistry
;
04. Solid Earth::04.08. Volcanology::04.08.01. Gases
;
04. Solid Earth::04.08. Volcanology::04.08.07. Instruments and techniques
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
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