A. Clemenssonlindell, TRIPHENYLTETRAZOLIUM CHLORIDE AS AN INDICATOR OF FINE-ROOT VITALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL-STRESS IN CONIFEROUS FOREST STANDS - APPLICATIONS ANDLIMITATIONS, Plant and soil, 159(2), 1994, pp. 297-300
The present study is an attempt to investigate whether triphenyltetraz
olium chloride (TTC), a chemical compound which measures dehydrogenase
activity, could be used to study fine-root vitality from two differen
t points of view: (i) in relation to ageing; (ii) as an indicator of e
nvironmental stress, in this case of excess nitrogen. The study was pe
rformed with excavated fine-roots from middle-aged Norway spruce and S
cots pine stands. The ageing aspect was investigated by applying TTC t
o fine roots separated into different vitality classes, based on certa
in morphological characteristics. A significant difference in activity
was demonstrated only in the case of roots that could be referred to
as living and dead, respectively. The use of TTC on fine roots grown a
t different nitrogen supply levels indicates a possible increase in de
hydrogenase activity with increasing nitrogen supply.