Skip Navigation



AOBPreview published online on January 13, 2005
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mci063
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
95/4/661    most recent
mci063v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by KAYAMA, M.
Right arrow Articles by KOIKE, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by KAYAMA, M.
Right arrow Articles by KOIKE, T.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by KAYAMA, M.
Right arrow Articles by KOIKE, T.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Annals of Botany © Annals of Botany Company 2005; all rights reserved
Received July 6, 2004
Revised September 7, 2004
Accepted October 16, 2004

Article

Differences in Growth Characteristics and Dynamics of Elements Absorbed in Seedlings of Three Spruce Species Raised on Serpentine Soil in Northern Japan

MASAZUMI KAYAMA 1, ALI M. QUORESHI 2, SHIGERU UEMURA 1, and TAKAYOSHI KOIKE 1*

1 Hokkaido University Forests, FSC, Sapporo 060-0809, Japan
2 Symbiotech Research Inc., Alberta, Canada T9E 7N5

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
TAKAYOSHI KOIKE, E-mail: tkoike{at}exfor.agr.hokudai.ac.jp


  Abstract

• Background and Aims Serpentine soils are characterized by the presence of heavy metals (Ni and Cr) and excess Mg; these elements often suppress plant growth. Picea glehnii is nevertheless distributed widely on serpentine soils in northern Japan. Growth characteristics were compared among P. glehnii, Picea jezoensis (distributed in the same region) and Picea abies (planted for timber production), and concentrations of elements in various tissues over time and the amount of ectomycorrhizal infection in short roots were evaluated.

• Methods Seedlings of three spruce species were planted in two types of experimental plots, comprising serpentine soil and brown forest (non-serpentine) soil, and these seedlings were grown for 3 years. Growth, ectomycorrhizal infection of short roots, and elemental composition of tissues were examined.

• Key Results The total dry mass of P. glehnii planted on serpentine soil was almost the same as on brown forest soil, and a large number of needles survived to reach later age classes. By contrast, growth of P. jezoensis and P. abies in serpentine soil was significantly less than in brown forest soil, and needle shedding was accelerated. Moreover, roots of seedlings of P. glehnii on serpentine soil were highly infected with ectomycorrhiza, and the concentration of Ni in needles and roots of P. glehnii was the lowest of the three species.

• Conclusions Picea glehnii has a high ability to maintain a low concentration of Ni, and the ectomycorrhizal infection may have the positive effect of excluding Ni. As a result, P. glehnii is more tolerant than the other spruce species to serpentine soil conditions.

Keywords: Picea glehnii, Picea jezoensis, Picea abies, serpentine soil, growth, needle longevity, ectomycorrhiza, nutrient physiology, metal exclusion.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.