Abstract
Seasonal profiles of sulphur, phosphorus, and potassium content in the wood of trees
have been established for the first time. This became possible by using a novel laser
ablation system coupled to HR‐ICP‐MS for measuring these elements in Norway spruce
drill cores. This technique combines excellent spatial resolution with superior detection
power, and makes it possible to measure low element concentrations even in relatively
narrow annual rings. Despite its low quantity in wood, sulphur is an important macronutrient
for plants and seems to display seasonal variations of its concentration, which correspond
to actual theories of sulphur metabolism in plants. A similar seasonal pattern was
also found for phosphorus, another crucial element in tree nutrition. This was unexpected,
because it was previously assumed that the distribution of phosphorus remains constant
throughout the year. Potassium, the third element measured, seems to be especially
accumulated in the latewood. The profiles presented in this article suggest a seasonal
variation, revealing some new aspects of Norway spruce (Picea abies) metabolism.
Key words
Sulphur metabolism - phosphorus metabolism - potassium metabolism - Norway spruce
-
Picea abies
- LASER ablation ICP‐MS.
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T. Barrelet
Department for Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Bern
Freiestrasse 3
3012 Bern
Switzerland
Email: tbarrelet@hotmail.com
Editor: M. Hawkesford