METABOLIC INDEX AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN TREE HEALTH DETERMINATION

IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A TOOL FOR EVALUATING THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECT OF EXPOSURE OF TREES TO CHLORIDE AND SODIUM IONS FROM DEICING MATERIALS, A STUDY OF THE LEVELS OF CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM IONS ALSO FOUND IN PLANT TISSUE IS MADE. THE RESULTS OF ANALYSES OF TISSUE SAMPLES OF SUGAR MAPLES AT 3 LOCATIONS IN CONNECTICUT FROM 1964-1967 ARE ASSESSED FOR 4 TREE GROUPS. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ION LEVELS TO TREE HEALTH IS EXPRESSED BY THE INDEX, DEFINED AS THE RATIO OF CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM IONS TO SODIUM AND CHLORIDE IONS. THESE IONS ARE EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF DRY WEIGHT OF THE TISSUE. SINCE LEAF TISSUE RESPONDS MORE RAPIDLY AND AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN TWIG TISSUE FROM THE SAME LOCATION OF THE SAME TREE, THE CALCULATION MADE FOR THE LEAF TISSUE IS KNOWN AS THE LEAF INDEX. THIS INDEX PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE EFFECT OF SALT ON THE YOUNGEST CELL TISSUE OF THE SAME TREE. SINCE SODIUM AND CHLORIDE IONS GRADUALLY ACCUMULATE IN THE WOODY TISSUE OF THE TREES THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY SUBJECTED TO SALT, STUDYING THE LEVELS OF THESE IONS IN WOODY TISSUES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE GRADUAL DETERIORATION POTENTIALITY OF THE TREE. HENCE THE SAME CALCULATION IS EMPLOYED BY USING THE IONS FOUND IN THE TWIG TISSUE TO DERIVE A TWIG INDEX. THE METABOLIC CONDITION OF A TREE CAN THEN BE EXPRESSED AS THE MEAN OF THE SUM OF THE INDICES: METABOLIC INDEX = LEAF INDEX + TWIG INDEX DIVIDED BY TWO. THE METABOLIC INDEX OFFERS A REALISTIC EVALUATION OF THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF EXPOSURE OF ROADSIDE SUGAR MAPLES TO CHLORIDE AND SODIUM IONS POLLUTING FROM THE ROOT ZONE SOIL FROM HIGHWAY SALT APPLICATIONS. IT IS PROPOSED THAT OTHER INVESTIGATORS EXPLORE THIS METHOD OF EVALUATION TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF SALT ON THE GENERAL HEALTH OF ROADSIDE TREES.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1970/335/335-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Roadside Development and presented at the 49th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Button, Edward F
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 6-8
• Monograph Title: Roadside development and maintenance
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 335
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calcium; Concentration (Chemistry); Diagnosis; Diagnostic tests; Field studies; Health; Ions; Magnesium; Metabolism; Parts of plants; Phosphorus; Potassium; Protection against environmental damage; Ratios; Roadside; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Trees
• Uncontrolled Terms: Leaves
• Old TRIS Terms: Indexes (Ratios); Ion concentration; Tissues; Tree damage; Twigs
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204819
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 1 1971 12:00AM