Vegetational and mycorrhizal successions at a metal polluted site: Indications for the direction of phytostabilisation?
Plant communities on plots with different metal pollution levels were compared in a field study in order to select the most suitable plant species for the direction of secondary succession toward the targeted grassland vegetation. The vegetational succession showed a gradual increase in plant cover and the number of plant species on the less polluted locations. Two predominant grass species Calamagrostis varia and Sesleria caerulea were selected for phytostabilisation, but a severely reduced seed germination capacity obstructed their use in practice. The mycorrhizal succession showed a gradual replacement of non-mycorrhizal with mycorrhizal plant species. Similar levels of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation of a particular plant species may be developed within each growing season regardless of the levels of pollution, with the exception of vesicle/intraradical spore formation. The results suggest that lower overall mycorrhizal colonisation levels and increased vesicle/spore formation may be a part of a mycorrhizal strategy at the most polluted locations.
Regvar
Marjana
M
Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. marjana.regvar@bf.uni-lj.si
Vogel-Mikus
Katarina
K
Kugonic
Nives
N
Turk
Boris
B
Batic
Franc
F
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017753:Ecosystem; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D017524:Slovenia; D013997:Time Factors; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals