The effects of aluminium on plant growth in a temperate and deciduous aluminium accumulating species

Abstract

Although aluminium (Al) is toxic for the vast majority of angiosperm plants, high concentrations of Al (i.e., < 1,000 mg·kg-1 dry mass) are found in some plants. Here, we investigate the Al accumulation behaviour in the temperate, deciduous species Symplocos paniculata, which belongs to a mainly tropical genus known to accumulate high levels of Al in its aboveground tissues. Based on a growing experiment in hydroponics with and without Al, we show that S. paniculata has the capacity to accumulate Al and that the absence of Al in the nutrient solution has a negative impact on the performance of saplings.

Vochysia tucanorum Mart.: an aluminum-accumulating species evidencing calcifuge behavior

“…Miq. (Symplocaceae), native to temperate climates in Asia, shows increased biomass in the presence of Al in a nutrient solution (Schmitt et al 2016). In the tropics, various woody species from the vegetation type called Cerrado (broadly known as 'Brazilian savanna') also grow well on acidic (pH ≈ 4.0) soils that are rich in exchangeable and soluble Al from oxisoils from Central Brazil (Haridasan 2008).…”

“…In the tropics, various woody species from the vegetation type called Cerrado (broadly known as 'Brazilian savanna') also grow well on acidic (pH ≈ 4.0) soils that are rich in exchangeable and soluble Al from oxisoils from Central Brazil (Haridasan 2008). Alaccumulating species can store between 1000 and >15,000 mg Al per kg dry leaves, including species from temperate and tropical climates (Haridasan 1982;Metali et al 2012;Schmitt et al 2016). Alaccumulating plants from the Cerrado include mainly species from Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae and Vochysiaceae families (Haridasan 1982;Souza et al 2015b;Bressan et al 2016).…”

The evolution of aluminum accumulation in ferns and lycophytes

“…The most likely explanation for intraspecific variation in Al concentration is that potential differences are caused by sampling location, soil pH, or edaphic characteristics, which are known to affect Al accumulation in some angiosperms, especially facultative Al accumulators (e.g., Schmitt et al, 2016a, b). If high levels of Al ions are available to a plant because of low soil pH, the Al concentration in aboveground plant organs can be higher than when a plant is growing in a soil with a higher soil pH and lower amount of Al ions (Haridasan, 1988; Watanabe et al, 2005a; Schmitt et al, 2016a, b). The potential effect of soil acidity and availability of soluble Al forms is also suggested by the finding that higher relative frequencies of Al accumulation occur in tropical and subtropical rather than in temperate climate zones.…”

Photosynthetic Behaviour and Mineral Nutrition of Tamarix gallica Cultivated Under Aluminum and NaCl Combined Stress

“…Al is suggested to be transported via the xylem transport system into the leaves, which show the highest Al levels. Radial transport via ray parenchyma to bark tissue is also likely given the high Al concentrations in the bark tissue [44].…”