Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) Nutrient Resorption Rates on Nutrient-Poor Metal-Contaminated Soils and Mine Tailings

Acidic, metalliferous mine tailings are hostile environments for vegetation growth. Despite this, Betula papyrifera (paper birch) has emerged as a primary colonizer in metal contaminated areas. This study assessed foliar nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency in B. papyrifera growing on two...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 232; no. 1
Main Authors:	Munford, Kimber E., Casamatta, Maria, Basiliko, Nathan, Glasauer, Susan, Mykytczuk, Nadia C. S., Watmough, Shaun A.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Cham Springer International Publishing 2021 Springer Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:	Acidic soils Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution Betula papyrifera Birch trees Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts Copper Earth and Environmental Science Environment Environmental monitoring Heavy metals Hydrogeology Limiting factors Limiting nutrients Metal concentrations Mine tailings Mine wastes Nickel Nitrogen Nutrient resorption Nutrients Organic matter Organic phosphorus Phosphorus Physiological aspects Physiology Potassium Senescence Small mammals Smelters Soil Soil contamination Soil pollution Soil Science & Conservation Soils Tailings Trees Vegetation growth Water Quality/Water Pollution Resorption Birch Retranslocation Metals Tailings Sudbury
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Summary:	Acidic, metalliferous mine tailings are hostile environments for vegetation growth. Despite this, Betula papyrifera (paper birch) has emerged as a primary colonizer in metal contaminated areas. This study assessed foliar nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency in B. papyrifera growing on two Ni-Cu (nickel-copper) tailings sites and two smelter-impacted sites near Sudbury, Ontario, in Canada. Soils at the smelter-impacted sites were more acidic, with significantly higher OM (organic matter) and P (phosphorus), whereas soil at the tailings sites had much higher concentrations of many metals. The primary limiting nutrients in the tailings were P and K (potassium), which were below reported foliar critical thresholds for paper birch, whereas foliar nitrogen (N) concentrations indicated sufficiency. Despite much lower pre-senescence foliar P and K concentrations, trees growing on tailings did not resorb nutrients more effectively than those at smelter-impacted sites. Wide within-site variation in foliar nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency may indicate that there are physiological constraints to nutrient resorption in contaminated sites, preventing trees from fully resorbing foliar P and K. The similarities in P resorption proficiency despite large differences in pre-senescence chemistry indicate that there may be critical physiological limits below which paper birch are incapable of resorbing nutrients.
ISSN:	0049-6979 1573-2932
DOI:	10.1007/s11270-020-04975-3