Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China
Determining response patterns of plant leaf elements to environmental variables would be beneficial in understanding plant adaptive strategies and in predicting ecosystem biogeochemistry processes. Despite the vital role of microelements in life chemistry and ecosystem functioning, little is known a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1143442/full |
| _version_ | 1811161198915223552 |
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| author | Yahui Zhang Shubin Xie Xiaoting Wang Muhammad Adnan Akram Muhammad Adnan Akram Weigang Hu Longwei Dong Ying Sun Hailing Li Abraham Allan Degen Junlan Xiong Jinzhi Ran Jianming Deng |
| author_facet | Yahui Zhang Shubin Xie Xiaoting Wang Muhammad Adnan Akram Muhammad Adnan Akram Weigang Hu Longwei Dong Ying Sun Hailing Li Abraham Allan Degen Junlan Xiong Jinzhi Ran Jianming Deng |
| author_sort | Yahui Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Determining response patterns of plant leaf elements to environmental variables would be beneficial in understanding plant adaptive strategies and in predicting ecosystem biogeochemistry processes. Despite the vital role of microelements in life chemistry and ecosystem functioning, little is known about how plant microelement concentrations, especially their bioconcentration factors (BCFs, the ratio of plant to soil concentration of elements), respond to large-scale environmental gradients, such as aridity, soil properties and anthropogenic activities, in drylands. The aim of the present study was to fill this important gap. We determined leaf microelement BCFs by measuring the concentrations of Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn in soils from 33 sites and leaves of 111 plants from 67 species across the drylands of China. Leaf microelement concentrations were maintained within normal ranges to satisfy the basic requirements of plants, even in nutrient-poor soil. Aridity, soil organic carbon (SOC) and electrical conductivity (EC) had positive effects, while soil pH had a negative effect on leaf microelement concentrations. Except for Fe, aridity affected leaf microelement BCFs negatively and indirectly by increasing soil pH and SOC. Anthropogenic activities and soil clay contents had relatively weak impacts on both leaf microelement concentrations and BCFs. Moreover, leaf microelement concentrations and BCFs shifted with thresholds at 0.89 for aridity and 7.9 and 8.9 for soil pH. Woody plants were positive indicator species and herbaceous plants were mainly negative indicator species of leaf microelement concentrations and BCFs for aridity and soil pH. Our results suggest that increased aridity limits the absorption of microelements by plant leaves and enhances leaf microelement concentrations. The identification of indicator species for the response of plant microelements to aridity and key soil characteristics revealed that woody species in drylands were more tolerant to environmental changes than herbaceous species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:10:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a8a2adfd40b457ea26364265e214c56 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:10:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a8a2adfd40b457ea26364265e214c562023-03-02T18:11:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2023-03-011410.3389/fpls.2023.11434421143442Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of ChinaYahui Zhang0Shubin Xie1Xiaoting Wang2Muhammad Adnan Akram3Muhammad Adnan Akram4Weigang Hu5Longwei Dong6Ying Sun7Hailing Li8Abraham Allan Degen9Junlan Xiong10Jinzhi Ran11Jianming Deng12State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaSchool of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaDesert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva, IsraelState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaDetermining response patterns of plant leaf elements to environmental variables would be beneficial in understanding plant adaptive strategies and in predicting ecosystem biogeochemistry processes. Despite the vital role of microelements in life chemistry and ecosystem functioning, little is known about how plant microelement concentrations, especially their bioconcentration factors (BCFs, the ratio of plant to soil concentration of elements), respond to large-scale environmental gradients, such as aridity, soil properties and anthropogenic activities, in drylands. The aim of the present study was to fill this important gap. We determined leaf microelement BCFs by measuring the concentrations of Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn in soils from 33 sites and leaves of 111 plants from 67 species across the drylands of China. Leaf microelement concentrations were maintained within normal ranges to satisfy the basic requirements of plants, even in nutrient-poor soil. Aridity, soil organic carbon (SOC) and electrical conductivity (EC) had positive effects, while soil pH had a negative effect on leaf microelement concentrations. Except for Fe, aridity affected leaf microelement BCFs negatively and indirectly by increasing soil pH and SOC. Anthropogenic activities and soil clay contents had relatively weak impacts on both leaf microelement concentrations and BCFs. Moreover, leaf microelement concentrations and BCFs shifted with thresholds at 0.89 for aridity and 7.9 and 8.9 for soil pH. Woody plants were positive indicator species and herbaceous plants were mainly negative indicator species of leaf microelement concentrations and BCFs for aridity and soil pH. Our results suggest that increased aridity limits the absorption of microelements by plant leaves and enhances leaf microelement concentrations. The identification of indicator species for the response of plant microelements to aridity and key soil characteristics revealed that woody species in drylands were more tolerant to environmental changes than herbaceous species.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1143442/fullNorthern Chinaaridityleaf microelementsbioconcentration factorindicator plant species |
| spellingShingle | Yahui Zhang Shubin Xie Xiaoting Wang Muhammad Adnan Akram Muhammad Adnan Akram Weigang Hu Longwei Dong Ying Sun Hailing Li Abraham Allan Degen Junlan Xiong Jinzhi Ran Jianming Deng Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China Frontiers in Plant Science Northern China aridity leaf microelements bioconcentration factor indicator plant species |
| title | Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China |
| title_full | Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China |
| title_fullStr | Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China |
| title_short | Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China |
| title_sort | concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of china |
| topic | Northern China aridity leaf microelements bioconcentration factor indicator plant species |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1143442/full |
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