The Natural Habitat of Erica Andevalensis in South‐western Spain

Copper uptake studies on Erica andevalensis, a metal‐tolerant plant from southwestern Spain

“…At present, little is known about the ecology and biogeochemistry of E. andevalensis, although Aparicio (1995) studied the germination of its seeds, Nelson et al (1985) studied its ecology, and Arroyo and Herrera (1988) reported on its pollination. The Erica andevalensis community (Junco rugosi -Ericetum andevalensis) is a somewhat hygrophilous, fairly thick heather scrub developing on silt-rich soils.…”

“…The Erica is remarkable in being able to colonize the highly toxic soils of the spoil heaps, but does not grow in the newer mine tips because it may take several hundred years for the exposed pyrites to decompose and generate an acidified soil that is toxic enough to exclude other competing species. Nelson et al (1985) analyzed the substrate of this plant at three localities and reported 4 to 67 ug g 1 copper in mine tailings, 11 to 60 ug g 1 in the riverine soils, and an astonishing 1,476 ug g" 1 in evaporates of a lake in the Odiel Valley around which the plant was growing.…”

“…It can also occupy secondary, more xeric stations on wasteland in the Ericetum australi -andevalensis plant community. Nelson et al (1985) proposed that this species cannot be indigenous since the substrate is directly derived from mining activities of past centuries. The Erica is remarkable in being able to colonize the highly toxic soils of the spoil heaps, but does not grow in the newer mine tips because it may take several hundred years for the exposed pyrites to decompose and generate an acidified soil that is toxic enough to exclude other competing species.…”

“…These damp mineralized sites are said to be the natural habitat of this species (Nelson et al, 1985).…”

Effect of different media composition on the micropropagation of Erica andevalensis, a metal accumulator species growing in mining areas (SW Spain)

“…This heather only grows onto the tailings derived from the mining activities in the last 5,000 years and along the Tinto and Odiel river banks that cross the mining areas (Aparicio and García-Martín 1996;Aparicio 1999). The very acidic soil in these mining areas contains levels of heavy metals as high as 77.8 g kg -1 Fe, 1,301 mg kg -1 Cu, 600 mg kg -1 As and 2,175 mg kg -1 Pb (Nelson et al 1985;Soldevilla et al 1992;Heras et al 2002;Rodríguez et al 2007;Abreu et al 2008). E. andevalensis is able to accumulate high concentrations of heavy metal in its tissues with levels as high as 1,745 mg kg -1 Al, 2,328 mg kg -1 Fe, 798 mg kg -1 Mn and 2 mg kg -1 Hg (Rodríguez et al 2007;Turnau et al 2007).…”