The Iron and Manganese Content of Plants present in the Natural Vegetation of the English Lake District

Abstract

Estimations of iron and manganese have been made on ninety-six species of plants (including fungi, mosses, ferns, and flowering plants) from a wide range of natural habitats. These plants normally contain more of both elements than is usual in crop plants grown on cultivated fields, probably owing to the greater acidity and humus content of the natural soils. The amount present varies with the individual species, the plant group, and the type of habitat. While some species and groups tend to take up iron or manganese selectively, both the absolute amounts and the ratio of the two elements may vary widely without apparent injury to the plant. In general, these elements accumulate most in aquatic plants growing on organic and anaerobic muds. The lowest amounts are found in species characteristic of flushed brown earths and in plants from drained acid peats. The fruiting bodies of fungi contain little of either element.