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Anaerobic induced ethanol synthesis in the stems of greenhouse-grown conifer seedlings

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Abstract

Ethanol synthesis was induced in stem segments from greenhouse-grown conifer seedlings by placing them in a N2 atmosphere at 30 °C for 24 h. Stems from ponderosa pine,Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws., sugar pine,Pinus lambertiana Dougl., Pacific silver fir,Abies amabalis Dougl. ex Forbes, and lodgepole pine,Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud, produced the highest quantities of ethanol. This group also had the smallest and slowest growing stems. Within each of these species the amount of ethanol produced was inversely related to the stem volume. Stems from western hemlock,Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., grand fir, Abies grandis Dougl. ex Forbes, Douglas-fir,Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, and western redcedar,Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don, all produced equivalent but low ethanol concentrations. These species had the largest and fastest growing stems. In this group only grand fir exhibited an inverse relationship between ethanol concentrations and stem volume. The relative amounts of ethanol synthesized by stems from Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western redcedar seedlings were not the same as subsequently observed in logs from mature trees of the same species under field conditions. Differences in the anaerobic environments for the two stem types could have affected the quantities of ethanol produced. The observed high amounts of ethanol produced by the stems from pine species were discussed in terms of their ability to handle periods of anaerobic stress or hypoxia.

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  1. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3200 Jefferson Way, 97331, Corvallis, OR, USA

    Rick G. Kelsey

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  1. Rick G. Kelsey
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Kelsey, R.G. Anaerobic induced ethanol synthesis in the stems of greenhouse-grown conifer seedlings. Trees 10, 183–188 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02340770

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