Abstract
Background and aimsUnderstanding the potential effects of iron toxicity on plant development is important when constructing new wetland from iron-rich sediment. We aim to study plant species-specific effects of iron toxicity when grown in the iron-rich sediments of lake Markermeer (the Netherlands).MethodsUsing three sediment sources that varied in total Fe and Fe-P concentrations, we performed a greenhouse experiment to study the development of three wetland species that differ in their tolerance to iron and utilization capacity of Fe-P: Rumex maritimus, Phragmites australis and Eupatorium cannabinum.ResultsPhragmites australis was the only species that developed an epidermis-damaging iron plaque on its roots. Plaque formation mainly depended on the Fe(III) and Fe-P concentration of the sediment, which led to different nutrient imbalances in leaves. All three species showed reduced growth compared to the control substrate, which could not be linked to indirect Fe toxicity. In contrast, direct Fe toxicity following the uptake of Fe could not be excluded as a mechanism potentially explaining our results, and this result warrants further examination in longer-term experiments.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of considering the Fe and Fe-P availability in sediments, as these properties may constrain plant performance and delay the development of pioneer ecosystems in wetland construction sites.
Highlights
The concept of ecological engineering is implemented globally nowadays and aims to use environmental technology that is tuned to ecosystem services (Mitsch 1998; Odum and Odum 2003; Temmerman et al 2013)
As a result of these differences in leaf P and root P concentrations between the sediment types, significantly highest leaf N:P ratios for leaves and roots were found in ML. This trend was not significant for the leaf N:P ratio in P. australis, as it kept its leaf P concentration relatively stable. These results indicate that sediment type influences the nutrient balance in P. australis in a different way compared to R. maritimus and E. cannabinum due to the presence of iron plaque on roots
The wetland species used in this study showed different responses to sediment type in terms of biomass production, iron plaque formation and N:P stoichiometry
Summary
The concept of ecological engineering is implemented globally nowadays and aims to use environmental technology that is tuned to ecosystem services (Mitsch 1998; Odum and Odum 2003; Temmerman et al 2013). In constructed wetlands build from iron-rich sediments, this ability could be an important characteristic as optimal growing conditions are required for plants to fully operate as ecological engineers. Several studies showed that the iron availability in wetland soils is an important factor influencing plant species distribution, owing to the different strategies of plants to cope with excessive amounts of iron (Snowden and Wheeler 1993, 1995; Van der Welle et al 2007; Geurts et al 2009). High iron availability in soils can lead to direct iron toxicity or indirect iron toxicity in plants. Understanding the potential effects of iron toxicity on plant development is important when constructing new wetland from iron-rich sediment. Methods Using three sediment sources that varied in total Fe and Fe-P concentrations, we performed a greenhouse experiment to study the development of three wetland species that differ in their tolerance to iron and utilization capacity of Fe-P: Rumex maritimus, Phragmites australis and Eupatorium cannabinum
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