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Zhang Y, Xie S, Wang X, Akram MA, Hu W, Dong L, Sun Y, Li H, Degen AA, Xiong J, Ran J, Deng J. Concentrations and bioconcentration factors of leaf microelements in response to environmental gradients in drylands of China. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1143442. [PMID: 36938005 PMCID: PMC10019776 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1143442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shubin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Adnan Akram
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Weigang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Longwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ying Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hailing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Abraham Allan Degen
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Junlan Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jinzhi Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianming Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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