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Effect of a copper gradient on plant community structure
Author(s) -
Strandberg Beate,
Axelsen Jørgen A.,
Pedersen Marianne Bruus,
Jensen John,
Attrill Martin J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1897/04-582r.1
Subject(s) - plant community , biomass (ecology) , vegetation (pathology) , agrostis stolonifera , species richness , environmental science , copper , agronomy , old field , ecology , chemistry , poaceae , biology , medicine , organic chemistry , pathology
Vegetation data including plant cover, biomass, species richness, and vegetation height was sampled on a copper‐contaminated field with total copper contents varying from 50 to almost 3,000 mg/kg soil. The field was covered by early succession grassland dominated by Agrostis stolonifera . Plant cover, biomass, species richness, and vegetation height generally decreased with increasing copper content, although the highest biomass was reached at intermediate copper concentrations. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that plant community composition was significantly correlated with soil copper concentration and that community composition at soil copper concentrations above 200 mg/kg differed significantly from community composition at lower copper levels. Comparison of single‐species (Black Bindweed, Fallopia convolvulus ) performance at the field site and in laboratory tests involving field soil and spiked soil indicates that the laboratory tests conventionally applied for risk assessment purposes do not overestimate copper effects. Interaction between copper and other stressors operating only in the field probably balance the higher bioavailability in spiked soil.