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Response of Populus tremula to heterogeneous B distributions in soil

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Abstract

Background

Poplars accumulate inordinate amounts of B in their leaves and are candidate plants for the remediation of B contaminated soil. We aimed to determine the effect of heterogeneous B distribution in soil by comparing the growth and B accumulation of young Populus tremula trees growing in soil with heterogeneous and homogeneous B distributions.

Methods

The first of two experiments focused on the tolerance and B accumulation of P. tremula under heterogeneous soil B distributions, while the second was designed to study fine root growth under such conditions in detail.

Results

Growth and B accumulation of P. tremula were unaffected by the spatial distribution of B. Root and shoot growth were both reduced simultaneously when leaf B concentrations increased above 800 mg kg−1. In the heterogeneous soil B treatments, root growth was more reduced in spiked soil portions with B concentrations >20 mg kg−1. Fine root length growth was stronger inhibited by B stress than secondary growth.

Conclusions

The root growth responses of P. tremula to B are primarily a systemic effect induced by shoot B toxicity and local toxicity effects on roots become dominant only at rather high soil B concentrations. Local heterogeneity in soil B should have little influence on the phytoremediation of contaminated sites.

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Abbreviations

B:

Boron

NR:

Neutron radiography

FR:

Fine roots

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Acknowledgments

Funds for this study came from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Funding for M.W.H. Evangelou came from the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft). The technical assistance provided by S. Hartmann and P. Vontobel from PSI is gratefully acknowledged. We would also like to thank N. Grisel from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) for the poplar cuttings. We would also like to thank H. M. Conesa for accepting to pre-review the manuscript and two anonymous reviewers for their very helpful review comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland

    Rainer Rees, Michael W. H. Evangelou & Rainer Schulin

  2. Soil and Physical Sciences, Burns 222, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Brett H. Robinson

  3. Spallation Neutron Source Division, Paul-Scherrer-Institut, 5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland

    Eberhard Lehmann

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  1. Rainer Rees
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  2. Brett H. Robinson
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  3. Michael W. H. Evangelou
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  4. Eberhard Lehmann
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  5. Rainer Schulin
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Correspondence to Rainer Rees.

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Responsible Editor: Juan Barcelo.

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Rees, R., Robinson, B.H., Evangelou, M.W.H. et al. Response of Populus tremula to heterogeneous B distributions in soil. Plant Soil 358, 403–415 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1183-x

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