Effects of acidic gases and mists on the reproductive capability of three fern species.

The effects of exposure to 40 nl litre(-1) SO2 + 40 nl litre(-1) NO2 on the reproductive biology of Polypodium interjectum (Shivas), Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenkins and Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newman were investigated after 14 weeks exposure in a closed chamber fumigation system. The numbers of sori per pinna were reduced in response to SO2 and NO2 for D. affinis but were unaffected for the other species. Numbers of sporangia in sori and spore viability were reduced in P. interjectum and P. scolopendrium but not in D. affinis in response to the SO2 and NO2 treatment. Spore size was not affected by the pollution treatment. A separate experiment tested viabilities of spores collected from the three species in response to daily spraying with simulated mists at pHs of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.6. For all three species, there was little or no spore germination in the pH 2.5 treatment and significantly reduced germination in response to the pH 3.5 as compared to the pH 4.5 and pH 5.6 treatments.

Effects of nitrogen dioxide pollution on the growth of three fern species.

The effects of exposing plants of Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott, Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newman and Polypodium vulgare L. to 60 nl litre(-1) (122 microg m(-3)) NO(2) for 37 weeks were investigated in a closed chamber fumigation system. There was no effect of NO(2) on the numbers of fronds produced for any species at any time during the exposure period. However, at the end of the study, there was a lower dry weight yield of green shoots of D. filix-mas and P. scolopendrium and a higher yield of green shoots of P. vulgare for plants in the NO(2) treatment as compared to control plants. These differences in shoot dry weights were not accompanied by an effect of NO(2) exposure on total plant dry weights.