Journal
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Volume 133, Issue -, Pages 51-58Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.12.001
Keywords
Metal pollution; Phytostabilisation; Semiarid climate; Metal(loid) tolerance; Stable isotopes; Endemic flora
Categories
Funding
- Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain
- FEDER [CTM2011-23958]
- Fundacion Seneca of Comunidad Autonoma de la Region de Murcia [15296/PI/10]
- Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad
- UPCT through the Ramon y Cajal programme [RYC-2010-05665]
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The goal of this work was to assess the selection of the most suitable combination of plant species for the phytomanagement of mine tailings, by comparing among different plant life-forms (grasses, shrubs and trees). A comparison on induced rhizosphere changes generated by four plant species (the grass Piptatherum miliaceum, the shrub Helichrysum decumbens, and the trees, Pinus halepensis and Tetraclinis articulata) and high density vegetation patches (fertility islands) at a mine tailing located at Southeast Spain and the description of their physiological status employing stable isotopes analyses were carried out. The edaphic niches for plant growth were determined by salinity, organic matter and total soil nitrogen while metal(loid)s concentrations played a minor role. Induced changes in plant rhizospheres had a significant impact in soil microbiology. While grasses and shrubs may play an important role in primary ecological succession, trees seem to be the key to the development of fertility islands. The low delta N-15 values (-8.00 parts per thousand) in P. halepensis needles may reflect higher ectomycorrhizal dependence. Large differences in leaf delta O-18 among the plant species indicated contrasting and complementary water acquisition strategies. Leaf delta C-13 values (-27.6 parts per thousand) suggested that T. articulata had higher water use efficiency than the rest of species (-29.9 parts per thousand). The implement of a diverse set of plant species with contrasting life forms for revegetating tailings may result in a more efficient employment of water resources and a higher biodiversity not only in relation to flora but soil microbiology too. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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