Author(s): Abbigale Baum
Mentor(s): Michael C. Rotter
Institution UVU
Salicylic Acid (SA) is a phenolic compound that plants produce in response to damage and stress. Members of the genus Populus can synthesize this compound, but it is not commonly known how phenolic compounds are distributed within this genus and how this interacts with environmental factors. We investigated the geographic changes of phenolics in various Populus species; including P. fremontii, P. angustifolia, P. tremuloides, and P. x accuminata. Branches of each species were collected and organized by species, population, and elevation range. The samples were cut into disks and ferric chloride (FeCl3) was applied to the cross section of each disk. Ferric chloride will darken in color when phenols are present. We were able to calculate the change in color of each sample using a computer software known as ImageJ. We expect to see a correlation between high concentrations and a single species. Once we understand the distribution of the compounds, we can further question the evolutionary history and ecological impacts of the defensive chemical.