Ultraviolet Radiation and Plants: Burning Questions.

Plants use sunlight for photosynthesis and, as a consequence, are exposed to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation that is present in sunlight. UV radiation is generally divided into three classes: UV-C, UV-6, and UV-A. The UV-C region of the UV spectrum includes wavelengths below 280 nm; these highly energetic wavelengths are effectively absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere and, thus, are not present in sunlight at the earth’s surface. UV-C wavelengths will be removed from the light reaching the earth’s surface’so long as there is any ozone present (Caldwell et al., 1989). In contrast, UV radiation in the UV-B region, from 280 to 320 nm, does reach ground level. The UV-B portion of sunlight has received much attention in recent years because irradiation from this spectral region (especially 297 to 310 nm) will increase as the stratospheric ozone concentration decreases (Caldwell et al., 1989). Currently, ozone decreases result from chlorofluorocarbon contamination of the stratosphere (McFarland and Kaye, 1992). UV wavelengths from 320 to 390 nm, which make up the UV-A region of the spectrum, are not attenuated by ozone, so their fluence will be unaffected by ozone layer reduction. Like all living organisms, plants sense and respond to UV radiation, both the wavelengths present in sunlight (UV-A and UV-B) and the wavelengths below 280 nm (UV-C). AI1 types of UV radiation are known to damage various plant processes. Such damage can be classified into two categories: damage to DNA (which can cause heritable mutations) and damage to physiological processes. There has been much speculation about how increased UV radiation exposure will affect plants, but as yet, there are no definitive answers. In this review, I will discuss the kinds of damage that UV radiation can inflict on plants, the mechanisms plants use to perceive and respond to UV radiation, and the ecological relevance of UV light wavelengths that have been used in the experimental analysis of plant responses to UV radiation.