Evidence That Soil Aluminum Enforces Site Fidelity of Southern New England Forest Trees

Local Scale Edaphic Surveys in and out of a <i>Pericopsis elata</i> (Harms) Meeuwen Natural Forest Stand in East Cameroon

“…Calcium has several distinct functions in higher plants [46], but Ca 2+ concentration in this case seems to affect P. elata stems negatively. It has been observed that tree communities are greatly influenced by exchangeable bases (Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ) [9], Open Journal of Soil Science [39]. Also, Iwara et al [9] observed that low base saturation is suitable for establishment of particular tree species in humid tropical forests.…”

“…This observation is in accordance with the relationship between P. elata stems and soil pH, indicating that a high number of P. elata stems may not be favoured at particular pH values (pH between 4.0 and 5.0). It has been observed that Al 3+ in acidic soils has a distinct negative effect on survival of some forest tree species [39] through Al toxicity. Increasing aluminum levels in the soil solution have been reported to decrease uptake and translocation of calcium, magnesium, and potassium [40].…”