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Introduction: Thanks to filtration by foliage, urban trees have a crucial role in air depuration. However, the exposure to pollutants could reduce their health and physiological performance, mainly because of low access to light and clogging of stomata by particulate matter. Objective: The accumulation of particulate matter on leaves (PMAL) and physiological traits of five urban tree species (Croton bogotanus Cuatrec., Eugenia myrtifolia Sims., Ficus soatensis Dugand, Schinus mole L., and Sambucus nigra L.) were quantified in sixty points in Bogotá, with the aims to (1) build a model explaining the PMAL based on traffic variables, (2) establishing the effect of vehicle pollution on physiological and phytosanitary variables, and (3) to evaluate the susceptibility of seedlings and trees to vehicle pollution. Methods: The physiological parameters: photochemical efficiency, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, leaf area, and specific leaf mass were measured and correlated with phytosanitary condition, PMAL and traffic variables: number of lanes, vehicular flow and tree-to-avenue distance. Additionally, tree physiological responses were measured in control, residential streets (RS), low traffic avenues (LTA), and high traffic avenues (HTA), and these last were compared with physiology of seedlings planted by three months in HTA. Results: PMAL was strongly associated with physiological responses. Ficus soatensis and C. bogotanus were the species with the maximum and the minimum PMAL. The exposure to traffic increased the photochemical efficiency and specific leaf mass, which could be related to the enrichment of nitrogen and atmospheric CO2. The stomatal conductance followed a bell pattern of low gas exchange in control sites, high values in RS and LTA, and decreasing again in HTA, which suggests an optimization in CO2 fixation at intermediate levels of pollution and susceptibility to stomatal clogging by extreme vehicle emissions. The chlorophyll a/b ratio, leaf area, and specific leaf mass were significantly related to the severity of leaf symptoms, and S. molle was the species with the healthiest leaves in HTA. Seedlings were more susceptible to pollution than trees, and fruits size and seedlings growth were affected by vehicular pollution. Conclusions: Ficus soatensis optimizes particle filtration and C. bogotanus is ideal for planting in HTA, although only as saplings. By contrast, the fast-growing E. myrtifolia and S. nigra seedlings should not be planted in HTA because of susceptibility of pigment contents, leaf area, and stomatal conductance to pollutants. Finally, because of its persistent high stomatal conductance and its low leaf symptoms, S. molle is the species with the best adaptation to vehicle pollution. A complete analysis of interactions among traffic, physiology, and health will help to improve the urban forestry planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Espeletia paipanaes una roseta caulescente gigante en peligro de extinción, endémica del departamento de Boyacá. Con el fin de establecer si una enfermedad en la planta, atribuida a la acción patogénica de microorganismos endófitos y caracterizada por la pérdida de pubescencia foliar (PPF), puede ser causante de la acelerada mortandad poblacional, se evaluó el desempeño fisiológico de la especie con y sin PPF. La incidencia (% de hojas afectadas por cada uno de los 27 individuos de la población actual) y severidad (% de área foliar afectada en 135 hojas) de la PPF fueron monitoreadas durante un periodo de nueve meses, en tres zonas topográficas a diferentes altitudes. Parámetros fisiológicos como conductancia estomática (Gs) y temperatura foliar (Tfol) e índice de contenido de clorofila (ICC) fueron medidos en hojas sanas y enfermas durante cuatro días consecutivos, tanto en la época seca como en la época húmeda. El estudio fue complementado con aislamientos y pruebas de patogenici-dad para identificar el agente causal de la PPF. En general, aunque la incidencia de la enfermedad en E. paipanafue constante a lo largo del tiempo, la severidad avanzó superando el 60 % del área foliar. El aumento de la severidad en el haz fue atribuido al efecto foto-oxidativo de las altas radiaciones entre las 11:00 y14:00 h. La reducción del área foliar funcional a causa de la PPF, llevó a una baja Gs con serias implicaciones en la fijación de carbono, y por tanto limitando el crecimiento y la renovación de biomasa. El efecto estacional en la Tfol varió de acuerdo con la zona topográfica, mientras que el ICC no presentó un patrón definido con relación a la PPF; sus valores bajos podrían estar relacionados con la producción de otros pigmentos. Finalmente, aunque no es posible asegurar que Botrytissp. es el causante de la pérdida de pubescencia foliar, se postula como el agente causal más probable debido a su alta representatividad en los aislamientos y su potencial de infección durante las pruebas de patogenicidad. En general, la reducción de biomasa foliar sana y disminución del rendimiento fisiológico sugieren que la PPF afecta negativamente la sobrevivencia de E. paipana,lo que significa que el uso de biocontroladores podría ser una estrategia para el rescate poblacional.

Espeletia paipana is an endangered giant caulescent rosette endemic to Boyacá department. In order to establish whether a plant disease, characterized by the loss of leaf pubescence (PPF) and attributed to the pathogenic action of endophytic microorganisms, is the cause of the increasing mortality of population, the physiological performance of the species was evaluated with and without PPF. The incidence (% leaves affected in each of the 27 individuals in the current population) and severity (% leaf area affected on 135 leaves) of the PPF were monitored over a period of nine months, in three topographic zones of different heights. During four consecutive days in both dry and wet season, physiological parameters as chlorophyll content index (ICC), stomatal conductance (Gs) and leaf temperature (Tfol) were measured in healthy and affected leaves. The study was complemented with isolations and pathogenicity tests to identify the causal agent of the PPF. Overall, although the disease incidence in E. paipana was constant over time, the severity progressed surpassing 60% of the leaf area. The increasing of severity in the upper side of leaves was attributed to the photo-oxidative effect of high radiation between 11:00 h and 14:00 h of the day. The reduction of functional leaf area because of the PPF, led to low Gs with serious implications for carbon fixation and thus limiting growth and biomass renewal. The effect of season in Tfol varied according to the topographic zone, while the ICC did not present a defined pattern with respect to the PPF; its low values could be associated with the production of other pigments. Finally, although it is not possible to ensure that Botrytis sp. is the causative of the loss of leaf pubescence, it is postulated as the most probably causal agent due to its high representativeness in the isolates and its infectious potential during the pathogenicity tests. In general, the reduction of healthy leaf biomass and decrease of physiological performance suggest that PPF affect negatively the survival of E. paipana, which means that the use of biological controllers could be a strategy to mitigate its effect on the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]