2 research outputs found
Afforestation of a trace-element polluted area in SW Spain: woody plant performance and trace element accumulation
13 pages, 4 figures, 6 tables.Trace element soil pollution can have ecotoxic
effects on plants, which could negatively affect the restoration of a degraded area. In this work, we studied the revegetation success in different sites within a trace elementpolluted area (Guadiamar River Valley, SW Spain). We
analysed the survival and growth patterns of afforested
plants of seven Mediterranean woody species, and their
relation to soil pollution, over 3 years. We also analysed the
trace element accumulation in the leaves of these species.
The area was polluted mainly by As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn
(soil total concentrations up to 250, 3.6, 236, 385 and
510 mg kg-1, respectively). The woody plant performance
was very different between sites and between species; in the
riparian sites, plant survival rates were nearly 100%, while
in the upland terrace sites species such as Quercus ilex and
Ceratonia siliqua showed the lowest survival rates (less
than 30%) and also the lowest relative growth rates. There
were no significant relationships between plant performance and soil pollution in the riparian sites, while in the
upland sites mortality, but not growth, was related to soil
pollution, although that could be an indirect effect of different substrate alteration between sites. The accumulation of
soil pollutants in the studied plants was low, with the
exception of Salicaceae species, which accumulated Cd and
Zn in the leaves above 1 and 200 mg kg-1, respectively.We acknowledge the Regional Ministry of Environment
(Junta de Andaluc铆a) for supporting this study within the SECOVER
research programme, and the Spanish Ministry of Education
for a PFU grant awarded to M.T. Dom铆nguez.Peer reviewe