Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Volume 158, Issue 6, Pages 2132-2142Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.02.025
Keywords
Urban land-use; Acclimatization; Epicuticular waxes; Decomposition; Litter quality
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Funding
- Helsinki University Environmental Research Centre
- Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation
- Niemi Foundation, Hamalaisten Ylioppilassaatio
- University of Helsinki
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We investigated foliar and litter responses of European aspen (Populus tremula L) to urbanization, including factors such as increased temperature, moisture stress and nitrogen (N) deposition. Leaf samples were collected in 2006-2008 from three urban and three rural forest stands in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, southern Finland, and reciprocal litter transplantations were established between urban and rural sites. Urban leaves exhibited a higher amount of epicuticular waxes and N concentration, and a lower C:N ratio than rural ones, but there was no difference in specific leaf area. Urban litter had a slightly higher N concentration, lower concentrations of lignin and total phenolics, and was more palatable to a macrofaunal decomposer. Moreover, litter decay was faster at the urban site and for urban litter. Urbanization thus resulted in foliar acclimatization in terms of increased amount of epicuticular waxes, as well as in accelerated decomposition of the N-richer leaf litter. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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