Iron, Manganese, Ash, and Nitroǵen in some Plants from Salt Marsh and Shingle Habitats

Abstract

Analyses for iron, manganese, ash, and nitrogen are recorded for some plants from salt marshes and shingle hooks. Ash is much higher, and iron and manganese are much lower, than in plants from underwater lake muds, woodland soils of varying humus content and acidity, and semi-aquatic marsh, fen, and bog soils. Since both lake muds and salt-marsh soils are deficient in oxygen, with iron and manganese presumably mobile as divalent ions, the difference in concentration of the two elements in plants from the two types of habitat requires explanation. It is suggested that the much greater total ion concentration of the salt-marsh soil solution may depress iron and manganese assimilation through ionic antagonism.