Action Spectra and Their Key Role in Assessing Biological Consequences of Solar UV-B Radiation Change

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Springer

Publication Date

1986

Volume

8

Abstract

Action spectra of UV damage to plants must be used as weighting functions to (1) evaluate the relative increase of solar UV radiation that would result from a decreased atmospheric ozone layer, the radiation amplification factor—RAF, (2) evaluate the existing natural gradients of solar UV irradiance on the earth, and (3) compare UV radiation from lamp systems in experiments with solar UV radiation in nature. Only if the relevant biological action spectra have certain characteristics is there a potential biological problem that would result from ozone reduction. Similarly the existence of a natural latitudinal solar UV gradient is dependent on action spectrum characteristics.

Several UV action spectra associated with different basic modes of damage to plant tissues all have the common characteristic of decreasing effect with increasing wavelength; however, the rate of decline varies considerably. Extrapolation from action spectra that have been measured on isolated organelles and microorganisms using monochromatic radiation to effects of polychromatic radiation on intact higher plants is precarious. Development of action spectra using polychromatic radiation and intact higher plant organs can yield spectra that are of more ecological relevance for weighting factors in assessment of the ozone reduction problem. An example of an action spectrum for photosynthetic inhibition developed with polychromatic radiation is provided in this chapter. This action spectrum has different characteristics, and results in a greater RAF than do action spectra for inhibition of a partial photosynthetic reaction, the Hill reaction, developed with isolated chloroplasts and photosynthetic bacteria. Circumstantial evidence from experiments with plants originating from different latitudes also supports the notion that action spectra with characteristics similar to that of the provisional spectrum, developed with polychromatic radiation, are appropriate. Further work with polychromatic radiation is encouraged.

There are two basic types of error that are associated with the use of action spectra in biological assessments of the ozone reduction problem, the RAF errors and the enhancement errors. The former are those associated with calculation of the RAF, and the latter are those derived from calculation of the UV radiation enhancement used in experiments with lamp systems. While the RAF errors are recognized, the enhancement errors have not been generally appreciated. An error analysis is presented showing that the enhancement errors will typically be larger and in the opposite direction than the PAF errors. The enhancement error should be considerably less in field UV supplementation experiments than in most laboratory experiments which employ fluorescent lamps as the primary UV-B radiation source.

First Page

87

Last Page

111

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