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Ailanthus altissma- Plant
Tissues (Winter, 1999)
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We only tested winter tissues of Ailanthus. We wondered if high amounts of calcium or other elements sequestered in the leaves might also indicate similar high amounts in the litterfall. Testing for nutrient concentration in the summer could show us whether calcium is translocated from season to season. Translocation is the active movement of constitutent molecules from one part of a plant to the other. For example, magnesium, the central atom of the chlorophyll molecule, may be moved from an aging leaf to living tissues before leaf abscision. We compared our data to magnesium and calcium concentrations for 7 tree species at the Hubbard Brook Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Station. The concentrations of both calcium and magnesium are higher at Saltonstall Ridge (Basalt parent material) compared with Hubbard Brook (Granite parent material). If we could get local data about sugar maple or ash for example, we could make a useful comparison with Hubbard Brook LTER. |
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