Characterization of a cadmium-zinc complex in lettuce leaves

Vegetable food contributes a higher amount of daily cadmium (Cd) intake in humans than food of animal origin. The bioavailability of plant Cd depends on the content of plant zinc (Zn). The mechanism by which increased plant Zn lowers the intestinal absorption of plant Cd could be mediated by changes in the chemical speciation of Cd or Zn in plant edible tissues, including Zn-induced phytochelatin synthesis. To test this hypothesis we investigated the chemical speciation of Cd and Zn in leaf extracts of lettuce grown under 10 ΜM of Cd accompanied by 0.32 or 31.6 ΜM Zn in nutrient solution. Gel filtration chromatography of the low- or high-Zn leaf extracts yielded a major low molecular weight Cd-Zn complex that eluted at similar elution volume. Compared to low-Zn leaf extracts, high-Zn leaf extracts contained a higher proportion of Zn incorporated into high molecular weight components, and higher content of the amino acids Cys, Glu, Gly, and Asp in the low molecular weight Cd-Zn complex. The peptides isolated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the Cd-Zn complex from the low- or high-Zn leaf extracts did not have an amino acid composition identical to phytochelatins. We concluded that

1. Sequestration of Cd or Zn via phytochelatin does not occur in leaves of lettuce containing levels of those metals representatives of Zn-Cd or Cd-only contaminated crops; and
2. Higher Cys, Glu, Gly, and Asp content in high-Zn than low-Zn leaves could lower Cd absorption in animals fed high-Zn crop diets, by enhancing metallothionein synthesis or changing Cd or Zn speciation in the animal gut.

     

Seed zinc content influences early vegetative growth and zinc uptake in oilseed rape (Brassica napus and Brassica juncea) genotypes on zinc-deficient soil

Low-Zn seed (around 80 ng Zn per seed) and high-Zn seed (around 160 ng Zn per seed) of Zhongyou 821 (a traditional Brassica napus genotype from China found to be Zn-inefficient in our previous experiments), Narendra (Zn-efficient B. napus genotype from Australia) and CSIRO-1 (a Zn-efficient B. juncea genotype from Australia) oilseed rape genotypes were sown in pots containing Zn-deficient siliceous sand fertilized with low Zn supply (0.05 mg Zn kg^–1 soil) or high Zn supply (2.0 mg Zn kg^–1 soil) in a controlled environment. After six weeks, plants derived from the high-Zn seed had better seedling vigour, increased root and shoot growth, more leaf area and chlorophyll concentration in fresh leaf, and higher Zn uptake in shoot compared to those from low-Zn seed at low Zn supply; the impact of high-Zn seed was more marked in Zhongyou 821 compared with CSIRO-1 and Narendra. The influence of high-Zn seed was dissipated at high Zn supply. CSIRO-1 was superior in terms of shoot dry matter production and Zn uptake in shoots at low Zn supply. The results demonstrate that although oilseed rape has very small seeds (about 3 mg per seed weight) compared with wheat (30 mg per seed weight), Zn reserves present in this very small seed still have a strong impact on early vegetative growth as well as on Zn uptake of plants in Zn-deficient soils. The results suggest that sowing high-Zn seed coupled with growing Zn-efficient genotypes may help in sustaining the production of oilseed rape in Zn-deficient soils, and this has implications for improved seed technology.     

Importance of seed Zn content for wheat growth on Zn-deficient soil

Seed nutrient reserves may be important for an early establishment of crops on low-fertility soils. This glasshouse pot study evaluated effects of seed Zn content on vegetative growth of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes differing in Zn efficiency. Low-Zn (around 250 ng Zn per seed) and high-Zn seed (around 700 ng Zn per seed on average) of Excalibur (Zn efficient) and Gatcher (Zn inefficient) wheats were sown in a Zn-deficient siliceous sand fertilised with 0, 0.05, 0.2, 0.8 or 3.2 mg Zn kg^-1 soil. After 3 weeks, plants derived from the high-Zn seed had better root and shoot growth; the cv. Excalibur accumulated more shoot dry matter than the cv. Gatcher. After 6 weeks, greater root and shoot growth of plants grown from the high-Zn seed compared to those from the low-Zn seed was obvious only at nil Zn fertilisation. A fertilisation rate of 0.2 mg Zn kg^-1 soil was required for achieving 90% of the maximum yield for plants grown from the high-Zn seed compared to 0.8 mg Zn kg^-1 soil for plants derived from the low Zn seed. The critical Zn level in youngest expanded leaves for 90% maximum yield was 16 mg Zn kg^-1 dry matter for both genotypes. Zn-efficient Excalibur had greater net Zn uptake rates compared to Zn-inefficient Gatcher after 3 weeks but they were not different at the 6-week harvest. Zinc-deficient plants had greater net uptake rates of Cu, Mn, B, P, and K but a reduced uptake rate of Fe. It is concluded that higher seed Zn content acted similar to a starter-fertiliser effect by improving vegetative growth and dissipating differences in Zn efficiency of wheat genotypes.     

Can Invasive Species Enhance Competitive Ability and Restoration Potential in Native Grass Populations?

Native plant individuals often persist within communities dominated by exotics but the influence of this exposure on native populations is poorly understood. Selection for traits contributing to competitive ability may lead to native plant populations that are more tolerant of the presence of exotic invaders. In this way, long‐term coexistence with an exotic may confer competitive advantages to remnant (experienced) native populations and be potentially beneficial to restoration. In past studies we have documented genetic differentiation within native grass populations exposed to the exotic invader Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens). Here, we examine populations of a cool‐season grass, needle‐and‐thread (Hesperostipa comata [Trin. & Rupr.]) and a warm season, alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides [Torr.]) collected from Russian knapweed‐invaded sites and adjacent noninvaded sites to assess their relative competitive ability against a novel exotic neighbor, Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Experienced S. airoides (from within A. repens invasions) appear to better tolerate (accumulate biomass, leaf nitrogen content, and to initiate new tillers) the presence of a novel competitor (C. arvense). Experienced and inexperienced H. comata genets differ in their response to the presence of C. arvense. Relative neighbor effects of native grasses on C. arvense were generally greater from experienced grasses. The ability to compete with novel neighbors may be driven by general competitive traits rather than species‐specific coevolutionary trajectories. Irrespective of competitive mechanisms, the conservation of native species populations within weed invasions may provide an important restoration tool by retaining unique components of native gene pools selected by competitive interactions with exotics.     

An Investigation into the Effect of Soil and Vegetation on the Successful Creation of a Hay Meadow on a Clay‐Capped Landfill

This paper investigates the effect that manipulation of soil and vegetation conditions has on plant community development during attempts to create neutral hay meadow communities on a clay‐capped landfill in Somerset, United Kingdom. The objectives are (1) to determine the effect of manipulation of soil and vegetation on the development of the target plant community, (2) to identify whether these treatments had an effect on edaphic factors (physical and chemical properties, earthworm populations), and (3) to establish which, if any, of these edaphic parameters are underlying factors in determining the vascular plant community composition. In 2001 a commercial hay meadow seed mix was sown on three substrate treatments: (i) bare clay, (ii) a mixture of topsoil and compost ameliorant in equal proportions, and (iii) over naturally colonized vegetation. Plant community development and edaphic factors were monitored between 2001 and 2007. Although initially the presence of ameliorant promoted germination and growth of seeded species, after 2004 nonseeded competitive grasses dominated the sward. Where ameliorant was removed the target community continued to develop proving this to be the most successful treatment. This was found to be a due to suppression of competition from Elytrigia repens (Common couch), which grew most abundantly on soils with high organic matter and high soil water levels within the soil. Contrary to previous research, Trifolium repens (white clover) was not found to reduce forb diversity in this study. No evidence was found of earthworm abundance affecting plant community development.     

Assessment of Cu,Pb and Zn content in selected species of grasses and in the soil of the roadside embankment

It was assumed in the study that heavy metals occurring in soils and the air accumulate in grasses constituting the main species used in the turfing of soil in road verges and embankments along traffic routes and in other parts of urbanized areas. The aim of the present study was to assess the bioaccumulation of Cu, Pb, and Zn in three selected lawn cultivars of five grass species and in the soil of the roadside green belt in terms of soil properties and heavy metal uptake by plants in the aspect of determining their usefulness in protecting the soils from contamination caused by motor vehicle traffic. Samples of the plant material and soil were collected for chemical analysis in the autumn of 2018 (October) on the embankment along National Road No. 17 between Piaski and ?opiennik (Poland), where 15 lawn cultivars of five grass species had been sown 2 years earlier. During the study, Cu, Pb, and Zn levels were determined in the aboveground biomass of the grasses under study and in the soil beneath these grasses (the 0–20 cm layer). All the grass species under study can thus be regarded as accumulators of Cu and Zn because the levels of these elements in the aboveground biomass of the grasses were higher than in the soil beneath these grasses. The present study demonstrates that the grasses can accumulate a large amount of Cu and Zn from soils and transfer it to the aboveground biomass. Tested species of grasses are not a higher bioaccumulators for Pb. The best grass species for the sowing of roadsides embankment, with the highest BCF values for the studied metals, is Lolium perenne (Taya variety).     

Phytoavailability of Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Soils Irrigated with Wastewater,Akaki, Ethiopia: A Greenhouse Study

Irrigation with untreated wastewater from several industrial, commercial, and domestic discharges for decades caused accumulation of various heavy metals and metalloids in soils along the Akaki River in Ethiopia. Assessment of environmental threats and the potential phytoremediation of the soils require understanding of the toxic elements’ uptake and distribution in plant parts. Hence, a greenhouse study was performed to examine the phytoavailability and distribution of Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, Se, V, and As in forage grasses: Oat (Avena sativa), Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana), Setaria (Setaria sphacelata), and the legumes Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and Desmodium (Desmodium unicinatum). The average contents of Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Se, and V in the plants were generally higher than the background levels for forage grasses/legumes, and some of these elements were in the phytotoxic range. Root bioconcentration factor (BCF = root to soil concentration ratio) > 1 was observed for Cu (Oat, Rhodes, Desmodium, and Setaria: Fluvisol), Zn (Setaria: Fluvisol), Cd (Rhodes: Fluvisol; Setaria from both soils) and Hg (Oat and Alfalfa: Fluvisol). Alfalfa and Desmodium displayed translocation factor > 1 (TF = shoot to root concentration ratio) for most heavy metals. Most heavy metals/metalloids may pose a health threat to humans and stock via introduction to the food chain. The plant factors (species and plant part), soil factors (soil type, soil fractions, pH, and CEC), and their interactions significantly (p < 0.05) influenced plant heavy metal and metalloid levels. However, the role of plant part and species emerged as the most important on heavy metal uptake, translocation, sequestration, and ultimately transfer to the food chain. Accordingly, the uptake and distribution of heavy metals/metalloids in the plants reflect the potential environmental and health hazards attributable to the use of fodder grasses, legumes, and cultivation of vegetables in soils with polymetallic and metalloid contamination.     

Effects of zinc-smelter emissions on forest soil microflora.

Within 2 km of a zinc (Zn) smelter in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, near the Lehigh Water Gap, up to 13.5% Zn by weight has been measured in the O2 horizon of the soil, and up to 8% Zn in the A1 horizon. The total numbers of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi (measured by dilution plate counts) were greatly reduced in the most severely Zn-contaminated soils compared with control soils. The reduction of microbial populations may be a partial cause of the decreased rate of litter decomposition at Lehigh Gap. Growth of most bacteria from control sites was reduced by 100 to 200 muM Zn, most actinomycetes by 100 muM Zn, and most fungi by 100 to 1000 muM Zn in thin-Pablum extract agar (TPab). All the tested actinomycetes and non-spore-forming bacteria isolated from Zn-contaminated Lehigh Gap soils were Zn-tolerant, growing normally in media containing 600-2000 muM Zn. Most fungi, regardless of source, were capable of at least 50% of normal growth at 700 muM Zn. Zinc-tolerant bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi were readily isolated from low-Zn soils, suggesting that selection for Zn tolerance may proceed rapidly. Acidophilic Mortierella species have been selectively eliminated near the smelter, apparently because of elevated soil pH. Peryronellaea glomerata (Corda) Goidanich and Coniothyrium spp. were found only in the high-Zn soils.     

Experimental Restoration of Native Vegetation in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

We investigated the effects of prescribed fire, herbicide treatment, and sod removal on the eradication of exotic grasses and the establishment of native plant species in 24 experimental restoration plots in three razed residential sites within the boundary of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. During 1992–1995, herbicide treatment and sod removal decreased the combined cover of Poa pratensis (Kentucky blue grass) and Agropyron repens (quackgrass) significantly (from 82% to 13%, and 85% to 8%, respectively), whereas fire did not suppress such exotic lawn grasses. In 1993, several opportunistic species, represented by Cyperus spp. (umbrella sedges), Digitaria sanguinalis (crab grass), and Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed), filled the gaps left by the removal of lawn grasses. For the same period, Detrended Correspondence Analysis revealed a clear vegetation divergence between the control-fire plots and the herbicide-sod removal plots. While Poa pratensis and Agropyron repens continued to dominate the control and fire plots, the planted native species, represented by Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue-stem), Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass), Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan), and Monarda punctata (horsemint), began to dominate in the herbicide and sod removal plots from 1994. In both herbicide and sod removal plots, the ground cover of grasses (68%) was much higher than the forbs (10%). The herbicide plots, where exotic species were removed but nitrogen-rich top soils were not removed, showed a higher diversity of planted native species than the sod removal plots (where both exotic species and top soils were removed) and the control-fire plots (where neither was removed). This finding suggests that an optimum but not excessive concentration of soil nitrogen is needed to support a maximum species diversity in such infertile substrate as sandy soil. In addition, the decrease in potassium in all plots, regardless of treatment, suggests that potassium may become a limiting factor for our restored native vegetation.     

Potential selection in native grass populations by exotic invasion

Ecological impacts of invasive plant species are well documented, but the genetic response of native species to invasive dominance has been often overlooked. Invasive plants can drastically alter site conditions where they reach dominance, potentially exerting novel selective pressures on persistent native plant populations. Do native plant populations in old exotic invasions show evidence of selection when compared to conspecific populations in adjacent, noninvaded areas? We employ amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis to screen a large number of loci from two native grass species (Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth and Sporobolus airoides Torr.) that occur in old infestations of the invasive forb Acroptilon repens. We then compare observed locus by locus F_ST values with distributions of F_ST estimated from simulation models under expectation of neutrality. We also compare the proportion of loci possibly linked to selection and those not linked to selection which exhibit parallel trends in divergence between two community types (invaded, noninvaded). Few loci (H. comata, 2.6%; S. airoides, 8.7%) in the two native grasses may be linked to genes under the influence of selection. Also, loci linked to selection showed a greater portion of parallel trends in divergence than neutral loci. Genetic similarities between community types were less than genetic similarity within community types suggesting differentiation in response to community alteration. These results indicate that a small portion of scored AFLP loci may be linked to genes undergoing selection tied to community dominance by an invasive species. We propose that native plants in communities dominated by exotic invasives may be undergoing natural selection.     

Effects of Nutrient Manipulations and Grass Removal on Cover,Species Composition,and Invasibility of a Novel Grassland in Colorado

Cover and richness of a 5‐year revegetation effort were studied with ,respect to small‐scale disturbance and nutrient manipulations. The site, originally a relict tallgrass prairie mined for gravel, was replanted to native grasses using a seed mixture of tall‐, mixed‐, and short‐grass species. Following one wet and three relatively dry years, a community emerged, dominated by species common in saline soils not found along the Colorado Front Range. A single species, Alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), composed nearly 50% of relative vegetation cover in control plots exhibiting a negative relationship between cover and richness. Seeded species composed approximately 92% of vegetation cover. The remaining 8% was composed of weeds from nearby areas, seed bank survivors, or mix contaminants. Three years of soil nutrient amendments, which lowered plant‐available nitrogen and phosphorus, significantly increased relative cover of seeded species to 97.5%. Fertilizer additions of phosphate enhanced abundance of introduced annual grasses (Bromus spp.) but did not significantly alter cover in control plots. Unmanipulated 4‐m² plots contained an average of 4.7 planted species and 3.9 nonplanted species during the 5‐year period, whereas plots that received grass herbicide averaged 5.4 nonplanted species. Species richness ranged from an average 6.9 species in low‐nutrient, undisturbed plots to 10.9 species in the relatively high‐nutrient, disturbed plots. The use of stockpiled soils, applied sparingly, in conjunction with a native seed mix containing species uncommon to the preexisting community generated a species‐depauperate, novel plant community that appears resistant to invasion by ruderal species.     

From plant traits to invasion success: Impacts of the alien Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decraene on two native grassland species

Alien invasive plants threaten biodiversity, productivity and ecosystem functioning throughout the world. We examined the effect of Fallopia japonica on two native grassland species (Trifolium repens, Lolium perenne). We hypothesized that its negative effects on the native species are dependent on three mechanisms: (i) allelochemicals released and accumulated in soil with a history of invasion, (ii) altered soil biota and (iii) direct resource competition. We measured the response of the native species as the difference in their functional traits when grown under the three conditions. Our results demonstrate that neither allelochemicals nor soil biota from soil with history of F. japonica invasion had measurable effects on either species. Competition with the invader strongly reduced height, biomass and specific leaf area (SLA) of T. repens, while it had a lower effect on L. perenne. Furthermore, our results reveal that F. japonica took advantage of a positive plant–soil and plant–plant interaction. The results show that the prominent mechanism underpinning the invasion success of F. japonica in the grassland was the direct resource competition. This prominent role is also confirmed by the significant interactions between competition, allelochemicals and soil biota from soils with history of invasion of F. japonica on SLA of the native species.     

Plant Species Composition Effects on Belowground Properties and the Resistance and Resilience of the Soil Microflora to a Drying Disturbance

We hypothesised that plant species composition and richness would affect soil chemical and microbial community properties, and that these in turn would affect soil microbial resistance and resilience to an experimentally imposed drying disturbance. We performed a container experiment that manipulated the composition and species richness of common pasture plant species (Trifolium repens, Lolium perenne, and Plantago lanceolata) by growing them in monoculture, and in all the possible two and three-way combinations, along with an unplanted control soil. Experimental units were harvested at four different times over a 16-month period to determine the effect of plant community development and seasonal changes in temperature and moisture on belowground properties. Results showed that plant species composition influenced soil chemistry, soil microbial community properties and soil microbial resistance and resilience. Soil from planted treatments generally showed reduced soil microbial resistance to drying compared to unplanted control soils. Soils from under T. repens showed a higher resistance and resilience than the soils from under P. lanceolata, and a higher resistance than soils from under L. perenne. We suggest that differences across soils in either resource limitation or soil microbial community structure may be responsible for these results. Plant species richness rarely affected soil microbial community properties or soil microbial resistance and resilience, despite having some significant effects on plant community biomass and soil nitrogen contents in some harvests. The effect that treatments had for most variables differed between harvests, suggesting that results can be altered by the stage of plant community development or by extrinsic environmental factors that varied with harvest timing. These results in combination show that soil microbial resistance and resilience was affected by plant community composition, and the time of measurement, but was largely unrelated to plant species richness.     

The Resistance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phleum pratense</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elytrigia repens</Emphasis> to High Concentrations of Zinc

The influence of increased zinc concentrations on seed germination, growth activity, photosynthetic apparatus, and water metabolism in two perennial grasses (Phleum pratense L. and Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski) was studied in laboratory and vegetation experiments to assess plant metal tolerance. In laboratory conditions it was established that seeds of both species may germinate in a wide range of zinc concentrations. In vegetation experiments, the possibility of successful growth and accumulation of biomass of both grasses in the presence of high zinc concentration in the root medium was revealed. At the same time, high water contents in root and shoot tissues were maintained, as well as the necessary intensity of photosynthesis (due to maintenance of the efficiency of photosystem II and the amount of carotenoids). It was noted that the established high resistance of both species of grasses to zinc, as well as their ability to accumulate significant amounts of metal ions in the roots, indicates that P. pratense and E. repens may be used for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with zinc.     

Specific Interactions between Local Metallicolous Plants Improve the Phytostabilization of Mine Soils

At present, no efficient technique is available for cleaning up soils which are highly polluted by heavy metals. Limiting the movement of pollutants out of the contaminated area by creating a dense and persistent plant cover appears to be the more reasonable approach. In this context, phytostabilization is a technique that uses metallicolous plants to revegetate highly polluted soils. This paper presents the results of an experiment performed in situ using metallicolous ecotypes of four plant species native to the Mediterranean French region, and grown in different combinations at a polluted site over two years. The soils were highly polluted with zinc, cadmium and lead. The aim was to find the best species mixture in terms of cover, biomass and duration. The four species used were the biennial legume Anthyllis vulneraria, two perennial grasses, Festuca arvernensis and Koeleria vallesiana, and the perennial forb Armeria arenaria. Mixtures which included A. vulneraria, and especially when in combination with F. arvernensis, showed the highest values of cover and biomass. After flowering, the biennial individuals of A. vulneraria disappeared but subsequent germination and survival of seedlings occurred abundantly under the two grasses. Mixtures with A. arenaria showed the lowest values of cover and biomass. Soil nitrogen increased in the plots with A. vulneraria as well as the concentration of essential nutrients (N P K) in the aerial parts of the two grasses. In contrast, the concentration of metals (Zn Pb Cd) decreased in the aboveground biomass of the latter in the same plots. These results show that reciprocal facilitation effects can act in heavy metal polluted environments, and that phytostabilization efforts in the Mediterranean region can be improved by using mixtures including local metallicolous legume and grass species.     

Plant traits shape soil legacy effects on individual plant–insect interactions

Plant-mediated soil legacy effects can be important determinants of the performance of plants and their aboveground insect herbivores, but, soil legacy effects on plant–insect interactions have been tested for only a limited number of host plant species and soils. Here, we tested the performance of a polyphagous aboveground herbivore, caterpillars of the cabbage moth Mamestra brassicae, on twelve host plant species that were grown on a set of soils conditioned by each of these twelve species. We tested how growth rate (fast- or slow-growing) and functional type (grass or forb) of the plant species that conditioned the soil and of the responding host plant species growing in those soils affect the response of insect herbivores to conditioned soils. Our results show that plants and insect herbivores had lower biomass in soils that were conditioned by fast-growing forbs than in soils conditioned by slow-growing forbs. In soils conditioned by grasses, growth rate of the conditioning plant had the opposite effect, i.e. plants and herbivores had higher biomass in soils conditioned by fast-growing grasses, than in soils conditioned by slow-growing grasses. We show that the response of aboveground insects to soil legacy effects is strongly positively correlated with the response of the host plant species, indicating that plant vigour may explain these relationships. We provide evidence that soil communities can play an important role in shaping plant–insect interactions aboveground. Our results further emphasize the important and interactive role of the conditioning and the response plant in mediating soil–plant–insect interactions.     

Availability and zinc accumulation in forage grasses grown in contaminated soil

Zinc is an important micronutrient to plant growth, but when present in large quantities it can become a toxic element to plants. This study was aimed to evaluate the growth, concentration, accumulation and availability of Zn to forage grasses (Megathyrsus maximus cvs. Aruana and Tanzania, Urochloa brizantha cvs. Xaraés and Marandu and Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk) cultivated in Zn contaminated soils. The experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions over a 90-day evaluation period, and Zn rates were 0, 100, 300 and 900 mg kg^?1 of soil. The Zn rates in soil caused growth reduction in all evaluated forage grasses. The cultivar Aruana was generally more tolerant to Zn, while the Marandu was generally more susceptible to the addition of Zn. The cultivar Aruana proved to be superior to others due to its higher growth and higher critical level toxicity of Zn. None of the forage grasses evaluated can be considered a Zn hyperaccumulator. The extraction order was DTPA at pH 7.3 < Mehlich-1 < USEPA 3051 < USEPA 3052 in the soil independent of forage grasses cultivation. The USEPA 3051 extractor was similar to Mehlich-1 in predicting the availability of Zn in soil.     

Seasonal and species variation in the content of cadmium and associated metals in pasture plants at Shipham

Summary Very high Cd and Zn concentrations exist in soils reclaimed from old mine workings at Shipham but little of the metal is transferred into the pasture herbage. The amount of metal in the soil therefore only influences the amount in the aerial part of the plant to a small degree. It would appear to be the plant species which to a large extent governs its metal burden: grasses accumulating the least Cd and members of the Compositae the most.Within this species variation exists a change in metal content that corresponds to the time of year, setal levels in plants peaking in the winter between January and March. This increase in the metal content of the shoot reflects the redistribution of metal previously bound within the root. The movement of Pb may be associated with changes in the phosphate status of the plant. In grasses it would appear that the root possesses the highest metal burden, and forHolcus lanatus, tolerance to both Cd and Zn has been established. The ammonium-acetate and DTPA-extractable Zn/Cd ratio in soils corresponds closely to that found in the roots of both ryegrass and Yorkshire fog. A much higher ratio was observed in the shoots of these plants.     

Leaf Construction Cost of the Most Abundant Species in an Upland Grassland Area of Northern Greece

The leaf construction cost, i.e., the energy expenditure required for the production of plant biomass (CC, g glucose/g dry biomass), is considered to be a major determinant of species success in various habitats. Nitrogen, carbon, and mineral contents in leaves were used to measure leaf CC. The aboveground biomass was sampled from the most abundant plant species (Poa pratensis L., Lolium perenne L., Festuca valida (Uechtr.) Penzes, Trifolium repens L., Taraxacum officinale Weber ex Wigg, Plantago lanceolata L., and Achillea millefolium L.) during the 1997 growing season in an upland grassland dominated by C₃ species. Soil samplings were performed in parallel with leaf samplings in order to determine soil inorganic nitrogen. T. repens leaves had the highest nitrogen concentration; grasses had the highest carbon content, while the highest mineral content was observed in the leaves of the forb species. The highest leaf CC was calculated for the legume T. repens followed by the grass F. valida. The grass L. perenne had the cheapest leaves, since it had the lowest CC. A positive correlation between leaf CC and soil inorganic nitrogen was evident for grasses (P. pratensis, L. perenne, F. valida) and P. lanceolata.     

Seed germination and salinity tolerance in plant species growing on saline wastelands

Seven plant species including three chenopods:Suaeda fruticosa, Kochia indica, Atriplex crassifolia and four grasses:Sporobolus arabicus, Cynodon dactylon, Polypogon monspeliensis, Desmostachya bipinnata, varied greatly in their seed germination and growth responses to soil moisture or salinity. The germination percentage of each species was significantly lower at soil moisture level of 25 % of water holding capacity than at the levels ranging from 50 to 125 %. Increase in salinity resulted in gradual decrease in seed germination of each species. Growth responses of species to salinity varied widely from significant decrease with slight salinity to stimulation up to salinity levels of 20 dS m^-2. Higher K⁺Na⁺ratios in plant shoots of all species compared to that in the root medium indicated selective K⁺uptake. Higher tolerance in chenopod species seems to be attendant on their ability for internal ion regulation. We are thankful to Mr. Noor Ahmad for his assistance in experimental work.