Exceptional nitrogen-resorption efficiency enables Maireana species (Chenopodiaceae) to function as pioneers at a mine-restoration site

Zhong, Hongtao; Zhou, Jun; Wong, Wei Chang; Cross, Adam T.; Lambers, Hans

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146420

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Evaluating growth and physiological performance under controlled conditions could aid in the identification of species that are most likely to persist under such conditions. Zhong et al (2021) found that multiple species in the genus Maireana are highly efficient at nitrogen (N) resorption, and this trait may allow them to survive in mine tailings. Such pioneer species could be particularly useful for restoration in substrates that are inhospitable to other species.…”

Section: Informing the Selection And Preparation Of Plant Materials P...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration ecophysiology: an ecophysiological approach to improve restoration strategies and outcomes in severely disturbed landscapes

Valliere

Alvarez

Cross

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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As human activities destroy and degrade the world's ecosystems at unprecedented scales, there is a growing need for evidencebased methods for ecological restoration if we are to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. Mining represents one of the most severe anthropogenic disturbances, often necessitating intensive intervention to restore the most basic attributes of native ecosystems. Despite examples of successful mine-site restoration, re-establishing native vegetation in these degraded landscapes remains a significant challenge. Plant ecophysiology-the study of the interactions between plants and the environment-can provide a useful framework for evaluating and guiding mine-site restoration. By understanding the physiological mechanisms that allow plants to establish and persist in these highly disturbed environments, practitioners may be able to improve restoration outcomes. Specifically, methods in plant ecophysiology can inform site preparation and the selection of plant material for restoration projects, aid in monitoring restoration progress by providing additional insight into plant performance, and ultimately improve our ability to predict restoration trajectories. Here, we review the challenges and benefits of integrating an ecophysiological perspective to mine-site restoration in Western Australia, a global hotspot of biodiversity and mining operations. Using case studies and examples from the region's diverse ecosystems, we illustrate how an ecophysiological approach can guide the restoration of some of the world's most severely disturbed landscapes. With careful selection of study species and traits and consideration of the specific environmental conditions and stressors within a site, the restoration ecophysiology framework outlined here has the potential to inform restoration strategies across ecosystems.

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Section: Informing the Selection And Preparation Of Plant Materials P...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration ecophysiology: an ecophysiological approach to improve restoration strategies and outcomes in severely disturbed landscapes

Valliere

Alvarez

Cross

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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“…It is probable that NM and AM species (together comprising 72% of species in the study area), particularly NM species (16% of species in the study area), are least likely to be selected against on heavily altered substrates. NM species (excluding CR species) possess no specific strategies for nutrient-acquisition (Lambers & Oliveira, 2019), and recent research has found NM Maireana species from the Mid-West are successful pioneers on alkaline tailings due to effective scavenging of trace amounts of N from the substrate and exceptionally high leaf N-resorption efficiency from senescent leaves (Zhong et al, 2021). While the lack of available N in substrates such as waste rock and magnetite tailings might appear to present conditions selecting for species with other nutrient-acquisition strategies (e.g., holo-and hemiparasites, carnivorous plants, and orchids;…”

Section: Implications For Rehabilitation and Ecological Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calcicole–calcifuge plant strategies limit restoration potential in a regional semi‐arid flora

Cross

Lambers

2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Aim To examine calcicole and calcifuge plant strategies, as well as nutrient‐acquisition strategies, as drivers of the distribution of species in response to edaphic factors, and the degree to which these strategies may act as filters to species establishment in ecological restoration on heavily altered or reconstructed substrates. Location An 82,000‐ha area within a major mining province in the Mid‐West region of Western Australia, harboring vegetation communities ranging from species‐poor halophytic scrub on saline flats to dense biodiverse shrubland on the skeletal soils of ancient Banded Ironstone Formations (BIF). Methods Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to examine how variation in soil chemistry and landscape position (undulating plains, slopes, and BIF crests and ridges) influenced patterns of floristic diversity, calcifuge plant strategies, and nutrient‐acquisition strategies in 538 plant species from 830 relevés. Results Landscape position was the strongest driver of species richness and vegetation functional composition. Soils became increasingly acidic and P‐impoverished along an increasing elevational gradient. Vegetation from different landscape positions was not compositionally dissimilar, but vegetation of BIF crests and ridges was up to twice as biodiverse as vegetation from adjacent lower‐relief areas and harbored higher proportions of calcifuge species and species with mycorrhizal associations. Main conclusions Topographic and edaphic complexity of BIF landforms in an otherwise relatively homogenous landscape has likely facilitated species accumulation over long time periods. They represent musea of regional floristic biodiversity, excluding only species that cannot establish or are inferior competitors in heavily weathered, acidic, skeletal, and nutrient‐impoverished soils. Plant strategies likely represent a major filter in establishing biodiverse, representative vegetation on postmining landforms in geologically ancient regions.

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Nutrient-acquisition strategy influences seed nutrient concentration and seed-to-seedling transition in ecological restoration in a regional dryland flora

Cross

2021

Plant Soil

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Exceptional nitrogen-resorption efficiency enables Maireana species (Chenopodiaceae) to function as pioneers at a mine-restoration site

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

Restoration ecophysiology: an ecophysiological approach to improve restoration strategies and outcomes in severely disturbed landscapes

Restoration ecophysiology: an ecophysiological approach to improve restoration strategies and outcomes in severely disturbed landscapes

Calcicole–calcifuge plant strategies limit restoration potential in a regional semi‐arid flora

Nutrient-acquisition strategy influences seed nutrient concentration and seed-to-seedling transition in ecological restoration in a regional dryland flora

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