Doctoral Dissertation Research: Exposure of Riparian Trees to Coal Emissions: Does It Produce Geographic Variation in Water-Use Efficiency

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SBR-9508033 Valery J. Terwilliger Eunmi Park University of Kansas Dissertation Improvement Research: Exposure of Riparian Trees to Coal Emissions: Does It Produce Geographic Variation in Water Use Efficiency? The proposed research will elucidate the effects of coal combustion on the photosynthesis and transpiration activities of the narrow leaf willow. Both laboratory and field experiments will be used to investigate the effects of coal combustion on plant productivity. Most physiological studies have exposed young crop species to unrealistically high concentrations of single atmospheric gases. It is unclear whether these studies contribute to understanding the responses of natural vegetation to more complex atmospheric pollutants under field conditions. This study will address this shortcoming by providing a more realistic understanding of the roles of two important component emissions on the gas exchange properties of the willow. The study will also provide a modern test of past biotic responses to changes in the concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The work is intended to fill a gap in knowledge between studies at a micro-scale and air pollution modeling at a macro-scale.