ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITION OF RESPIRATORY GASES IN WOODY STEMS BY MASS SPECTROMETRY

Abstract

A method of analysis of small volumes of gases from bulky plant organs, using mass spectro‐metry, is described. Results obtained from woody stems of Acacia mearnsii indicate that the most actively metabolizing tissues exist in an environment whose gaseous component is almost exclusively carbon dioxide. This observation is consistent with previous observations on the effect of carbon dioxide on the formation of compounds characteristic of heartwood in A. mearnsii. Copyright © 1975, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved