Abstract
In the last decade, precipitation of snow containing acid pollutants (acid snow) has been observed. Wintering plants under acid snow layer are subjected to the exposure to the acid pollutants locally concentrated on snow crystal surface and the immersion or freeze-thaw in strong acid meltwater. In this study, we examined the response of winter wheat that were re-grown under light/dark condition after treatment of simulated acid snow (SAS) stress. When wheat seedlings were re-grown for 48 hours after SAS treatment with sulfuric acid solution (pH 2), fresh weight of mature leaves markedly decreased within 24 hours, but that of younger leaves hardly decreased. During the re-growth period, relative water content of mature leaves gradually decrease to 75%, although that of younger leaves decreased to 90% within 12 hours and was kept at this level. Damage of mature leaves by SAS treatment was expanded under the re-growth condition.
