Acer campestre

Abstract: Particulate matter (PM) is an air contaminant in urban and industrial areas that often exceeds limit values, creating serious problems due to its harmful effects on health. Planting trees and shrubs as air filters is a way to improve air quality in these areas. However,further knowledge on species effectiveness in air purification is essential This study compared four species of tree (Acer campestre L, Fraxinus excelsior L, Platanus x hispanica Mill. ex Muenchh. 'Acerifolia', Tilia cordata Mill.), three species of shrub (Forsythia x intermedia Zabel, Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim., Spiraea japonica L.), and one climber species (Hedera helix L) that are commonly cultivated along streets in Poland to capture fine, coarse and larger particles from air. Separate gravimetric analyses were performed to quantify PM deposited on surfaces and trapped in waxes. Significant differences were found between the plant species tested. The distribution of different particle size fractions differed between and within species and also between leaf surfaces and in waxes.

Abstract: Aim To estimate the relative importance of climate and soil nutritional variables for predicting the distribution of Acer campestre (L.) in French forests. Location France. Methods We used presence/absence information for A. campestre in 3286 forest plots scattered all over France, coupled with climatic and edaphic data. More than 150 climatic variables (temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, evapotranspiration, water balance) were obtained using a digital elevation model (DEM) and a geographical information system (GIS). Six direct soil variables (pH, C/N ratio, base saturation rate, concentrations of calcium, magnesium and potassium) were available from EcoPlant, a phytoecological data base for French forests. Using a forward stepwise logistic regression technique, we derived two distinct predictive models for A. campestre; the first with climatic variables alone and the second with both climatic and edaphic variables. Results The distribution of A. campestre was poorly modelled when including only climatic variables. The inclusion of edaphic variables significantly improved the quality of predictions for this species, allowing prediction of patches of presence/absence within the study region. Main conclusion Soil nutritional variables may improve the performance of fine-scale (grain) plant species distribution models.

Abstract: The CO2 uptake capacity of leaves of five competing woody species in an undisturbed developing Central European hedgerow was investigated for possible factors determining competitive ability in the field. Light-saturated maximal CO2 uptake (A max) showed species-specific seasonal variations in Prunus spinosa, a bushlike pioneer on fallow land, in Crataegusxmacrocarpa and Acer campestre, two treelike species dominating the canopy, in Rubus corylifolius, a pioneer liane, and in Ribes uva-crispa, a shrubby undergrowth species. In fully-expanded sun leaves of Prunus, Crataegus and Acer A max ranged from 8 to 12 μmol m-2 s-1 while it ranged from 6 to 15 μmol m-2 s-1 in Rubus and Ribes. The temperature responses showed no difference among species. Neither leaf photosynthetic capacity nor nutrient use of carbon fixation determined competitive ability. Differences between species in the capacity of leaves to adapt to shade resulted in differences in species' establishment in the understory and demonstrated the importance of growth in order to escape light-limiting conditions. A specific sequence of species was found for the range of A max in sun leaves. It was highest in an early pioneer of low competitive ability (Rubus), medium in a later pioneer (Prunus) and in successional plants (Crataegus, Acer), and lowest in the climax species of high competitive ability, Fagus silvatica, (3-4 μmol m-2 s-1; Schulze 1970).

Abstract: Summary Scattered broadleaved tree species such as ashes ( Fraxinus excelsior L. and Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.), black alder ( Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.), birches ( Betula pendula Roth. and Betula pubescens Ehrh.), elms ( Ulmus glabra Huds., Ulmus laevis Pall. and Ulmus minor Mill.), limes ( Tilia cordata Mill. and Tilia platyphyllos Scop.), maples ( Acer campestre L., Acer platanoides L. and Acer pseudoplatanus L.), wild service tree ( Sorbus domestica L. and Sorbus torminalis L. Crantz), walnuts ( Juglans regia L., Juglans nigra L. and hybrids) and wild cherry ( Prunus avium L.) are important components of European forests. Many species have high economic, environmental and social values. Their scattered distributions, exacerbated in many cases by human activity, may make them more vulnerable to climate change. They are likely to have less ability to reproduce or adapt to shifting climate space than more widespread species. The general impacts of climate change on these scattered species are reviewed. Some specifi c risks and opportunities are highlighted for each species, although there is considerable uncertainty and therefore, diffi culty in quantifying many specifi c risks and/or impacts on scattered broadleaved tree species.