δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil Nutrition
δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N were analyzed in the leaves of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L. and <i>Betula</i> spp. under the conditions of severe heavy metal (Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb) contamination. Twenty-seven plots located near the Karabash copper smel...
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/8/1299 |
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| author | Denis Veselkin Nadezhda Kuyantseva Aleksandr Mumber Darya Molchanova Daria Kiseleva |
| author_facet | Denis Veselkin Nadezhda Kuyantseva Aleksandr Mumber Darya Molchanova Daria Kiseleva |
| author_sort | Denis Veselkin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N were analyzed in the leaves of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L. and <i>Betula</i> spp. under the conditions of severe heavy metal (Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb) contamination. Twenty-seven plots located near the Karabash copper smelter (Russia) were studied. No reliable correlation of <sup>13</sup>C in tree leaves with the level of pollution was observed. δ<sup>15</sup>N, both in <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> and <i>Betula</i> spp., increased similarly in polluted areas. δ<sup>15</sup>N was increased by 2.3‰ in the needles of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> and by 1.6‰ in the leaves of <i>Betula</i> spp. in polluted plots compared to the background ones. The probable reasons for the increase in δ<sup>15</sup>N were estimated using multiple regression. The regression model, which includes two predictors: δ<sup>15</sup>N in the humus horizon and the occurrence of roots in the litter, explains 33% of the total variability of δ<sup>15</sup>N in leaves. Thus, in ecosystems polluted with heavy metals, the state of trees is determined not only by the direct toxic effects of heavy metals but also by indirect ones associated with the features of plant mineral nutrition. This fact opens the way to the search for opportunities to control the state of plants in disturbed ecosystems by regulating the content of mineral nutrition elements. |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:25:39Z |
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| spelling | doaj.art-3e58e51ccb9447ddb8964d85dbf1be622023-12-03T13:41:02ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072022-08-01138129910.3390/f13081299δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil NutritionDenis Veselkin0Nadezhda Kuyantseva1Aleksandr Mumber2Darya Molchanova3Daria Kiseleva4Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology UB RAS, 620144 Yekaterinburg, RussiaIlmensky State Reserve, Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science South Urals Research Center of Mineralogy and Geo-Ecology UB RAS, 456317 Miass, RussiaIlmensky State Reserve, Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science South Urals Research Center of Mineralogy and Geo-Ecology UB RAS, 456317 Miass, RussiaInstitute of Plant and Animal Ecology UB RAS, 620144 Yekaterinburg, RussiaInstitute of Fundamental Education, Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russiaδ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N were analyzed in the leaves of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L. and <i>Betula</i> spp. under the conditions of severe heavy metal (Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb) contamination. Twenty-seven plots located near the Karabash copper smelter (Russia) were studied. No reliable correlation of <sup>13</sup>C in tree leaves with the level of pollution was observed. δ<sup>15</sup>N, both in <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> and <i>Betula</i> spp., increased similarly in polluted areas. δ<sup>15</sup>N was increased by 2.3‰ in the needles of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> and by 1.6‰ in the leaves of <i>Betula</i> spp. in polluted plots compared to the background ones. The probable reasons for the increase in δ<sup>15</sup>N were estimated using multiple regression. The regression model, which includes two predictors: δ<sup>15</sup>N in the humus horizon and the occurrence of roots in the litter, explains 33% of the total variability of δ<sup>15</sup>N in leaves. Thus, in ecosystems polluted with heavy metals, the state of trees is determined not only by the direct toxic effects of heavy metals but also by indirect ones associated with the features of plant mineral nutrition. This fact opens the way to the search for opportunities to control the state of plants in disturbed ecosystems by regulating the content of mineral nutrition elements.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/8/1299anthropogenic pollutionheavy metalsδ<sup>13</sup>Cδ<sup>15</sup>N<i>Pinus sylvestris</i><i>Betula</i> spp. |
| spellingShingle | Denis Veselkin Nadezhda Kuyantseva Aleksandr Mumber Darya Molchanova Daria Kiseleva δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil Nutrition Forests anthropogenic pollution heavy metals δ<sup>13</sup>C δ<sup>15</sup>N <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> <i>Betula</i> spp. |
| title | δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil Nutrition |
| title_full | δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil Nutrition |
| title_fullStr | δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil Nutrition |
| title_full_unstemmed | δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil Nutrition |
| title_short | δ<sup>15</sup>N in Birch and Pine Leaves in the Vicinity of a Large Copper Smelter Indicating a Change in the Conditions of Their Soil Nutrition |
| title_sort | δ sup 15 sup n in birch and pine leaves in the vicinity of a large copper smelter indicating a change in the conditions of their soil nutrition |
| topic | anthropogenic pollution heavy metals δ<sup>13</sup>C δ<sup>15</sup>N <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> <i>Betula</i> spp. |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/8/1299 |
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