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Micronutrient levels in some temperate European tree species: a comparative field study

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Abstract

Micronutrient concentrations in foliage and stemwood (including bark) of six European tree species (Betula pendula Roth., Quercus robur L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Fagus sylvatica L., Tilia cordata Mill. and Picea abies (L.) Karst.) planted on the same type of soil at six sites in three different countries were studied. Micronutrient concentrations in foliage were considerably higher than in stemwood for all elements and species studied, except for Fe in spruce. Interspecies comparisons revealed significant differences in concentrations both in foliar and stemwood biomass, as well as in stemwood:foliage nutrient ratios. Lime foliage showed a considerably higher concentration of B than all other species, while the stemwood concentration of this element was highest in ash. Mn concentration in both foliar and stemwood biomass of ash was extremely low compared with concentrations in other species. Birch stemwood showed nearly double the level of Zn in other species at all sites. Zn concentrations in the birch foliage were also higher than in other species, with the exception of the Lithuanian sites, which showed lower EDTA-extractable Zn concentrations in the soils. The concentration of Cu was lowest in spruce foliage, while Cu concentrations in stemwood were similar in all species. It was concluded that species-related differences in microelement nutrition must be taken into account when evaluating the nutrient status of common European forest tree species, and when using them as bio-indicators of the effects of environmental pollution.

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Acknowledgments

This research was carried out within the SUFOR project sponsored by MISTRA. The Swedish Institute supported the Swedish–Lithuanian cooperation. We would like to thank Kęstutis Armolaitis and Ingeborg Callesen for help in finding suitable sites for research in Lithuania and Denmark and for assistance with field sampling. We are grateful to forest owners for their permission to use the plantations and for providing information about thinning. We would like to thank Bengt Nihlgård for valuable comments on the manuscript

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  1. Department of Plant Ecology and Systematics, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    A. Hagen-Thorn & I. Stjernquist

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  1. A. Hagen-Thorn
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  2. I. Stjernquist
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Correspondence to A. Hagen-Thorn.

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Hagen-Thorn, A., Stjernquist, I. Micronutrient levels in some temperate European tree species: a comparative field study. Trees 19, 572–579 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-005-0416-5

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