Author/Editor     Gaberščik, Alenka
Title     UV-B radiation - how burning is it for plants?
Type     članek
Source     Phyton-Ann Rei Bot A
Vol. and No.     Letnik 39, št. 3 Spec Iss
Publication year     1999
Volume     str. 35-9
Language     eng
Abstract     In the last twenty years a bulk of papers studying the influence of W-B radiation on plants was published. The majority of them are the reports on short term experiments, performed mainly under controlled indoor environment; in laboratories, greenhouses and growth chambers. The comparison with outdoor experiments revealed that the damage caused by W-B appeared to be much higher under indoor conditions, than in field studies. The main reason is that under natural environment a11 acclimations e.i. changed optical properties of the leaves, accumulation of W-B absorbing compounds repair of DNA damage and ability of scavenging of radicals are much more expressed than in indoor experiments. Different authors claim that above all PAR/UV-A/CTV-B ratio is of major importance, not only because of photorepair mechanisms, but also because of the costs of other protective mechanisms including synthesis of secondary substances. W-B radiation will affect the structure and function of the ecosystems. Reliable estimation of the influence of W-B radiation on ecosystems must base on the long-term outdoor experiments. Agricultural plants appears to be more sensitive since in the past breeding efforts were directed mainly into an increase of the yield of certain cultivar. The potential of these plants to cope with elevated UV-B radiation is still unclear.
Descriptors     PLANTS
ULTRAVIOLET RAYS
DNA DAMAGE
ECOSYSTEM