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Specialized edaphic niches of threatened copper endemic plant species in the D.R. Congo: implications for ex situ conservation

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Abstract

Background and aims

Copper (Cu) rich soils derived from rocks of the Katangan Copperbelt in the south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) support a rich diversity of metallophytes including 550 heavy metal tolerant; 24 broad Cu soil endemic; and 33 strict Cu soil endemic plant species. The majority of the plant species occur on prominent Cu hills scattered along the copperbelt. Heavy metal mining on the Katangan Copperbelt has resulted in extensive degradation and destruction of the Cu hill ecosystems. As a result, approximately 80 % of the strict Cu endemic plant species are classified as threatened according to IUCN criteria and represent a conservation priority. Little is known about the soil Cu tolerance optimum of the Cu endemic plant species. The purpose of this study was to quantify the soil Cu concentration (Cu edaphic niche) of four Cu endemic plant species to inform soil propagation conditions and microhabitat site selection for planting of the species in Cu hill ecosystem restoration.

Methods

The soil Cu concentration tolerance of Cu endemic plant species was studied including Crotalaria cobalticola (CRCO); Gladiolus ledoctei (GLLE); Diplolophium marthozianum (DIMA); and Triumfetta welwitschii var. rogersii (TRWE-RO). The in situ natural habitat distributions of the Cu endemic plant species with respect to soil Cu concentration (Cu edaphic niche) was calculated by means of a generalised additive model. Additionally, the seedling emergence and growth of the four Cu endemic plant species in three soil Cu concentrations was tested ex situ and the results were compared to that of the natural habitat soil Cu concentration optimum (Cu edaphic niche).

Results

CRCO exhibited greater performance on the highest soil Cu concentration, consistent with its calculated Cu edaphic niche occurring at the highest soil Cu concentrations. In contrast, both DIMA and TRWE-RO exhibited greatest performance at the lowest soil Cu concentration, despite the calculated Cu edaphic niche occurring at moderate soil Cu concentrations. GLLE exhibited equal performances in the entire range of soil Cu concentrations.

Conclusions

These results suggest that CRCO evolved via the edaphic specialization model where it is most competitive in Cu hill habitat with the highest soil Cu concentration. In comparison, DIMA and TRWE-RO appear to have evolved via the endemism refuge model, which indicates that the species were excluded into (i.e., took refuge in) the lower plant competition Cu hill habitat due to their inability to effectively compete with higher plant competition on normal soils. The soil Cu edaphic niche determined for the four species will be useful in conservation activities including informing soil propagation conditions and microhabitat site selection for planting of the species in Cu hill ecosystem restoration.

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Acknowledgments

This research study was made possible thanks to the financial intervention of the Fonds de la Recherche dans l’Industrie et dans l’Agriculture (FRIA) of the FNRS (Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique), Belgium. FNRS. The Coopération Universitaire au Développement (CUD) is acknowledged for the funding support for the Faculty of Agronomy’s seed bank at the University of Lubumbashi (PIC REMEDLU) and the fellowship of Olivier Garin who performed his Master’s thesis in D.R. Congo. The authors also thank Tenke Fungurume Mining S.A.R.L (TFM, Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold) for financial and logistic support in the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biodiversity and Landscape Unit, BIOSE - Biosystem Engineering Department, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030, Gembloux, Belgium

    Sylvain Boisson, Soizig Le Stradic, Olivier Garin, Maxime Séleck & Grégory Mahy

  2. Hydrogeochimical Interactions Soil-Environment (HydrISE) Unit, Polytechnic Institute LaSalle Beauvais (ISAB-IGAL), 15 rue Pierre Waguet, 60026, Beauvais, France

    Michel-Pierre Faucon & Bastien Lange

  3. Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Biogeochemistry, Université Libre Bruxelles, CP 244, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050, Bruxelles, Belgium

    Bastien Lange

  4. Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 244, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050, Bruxelles, Belgium

    Nathalie Verbruggen

  5. Ecology, Restoration Ecology and Landscape Research Unit, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Lubumbashi, Route Kasapa, Campus Universitaire, 1825, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo

    Axel Tshomba Wetshy, Wilfried Masengo Kalengo & Mylor Ngoy Shutcha

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  1. Sylvain Boisson
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Boisson, S., Faucon, MP., Le Stradic, S. et al. Specialized edaphic niches of threatened copper endemic plant species in the D.R. Congo: implications for ex situ conservation. Plant Soil 413, 261–273 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3095-7

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