Ecological and geochemical peculiarities of the South Primorye vegetation and arboriflora species specificity in the heavy metal accumulations

Abstract

The article deals with the submission of data on ecological and geochemical peculiarities of the forest ecosystems, still conserved, which were obtained during vegetation research of the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula of the Primorsky Krai. For the first time, the species specificity on the heavy metal accumulations has been identified for many Far-Eastern species of the trees, bushes and woody climbing plants (78 species), which participate in the formation of the natural phytocenoses of the South Primorye. The accumulative plant properties to accumulate heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Co, Cd, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe) are found out in the different systematic groups and life forms of the plants. The best capacity to concentrate heavy metals (3–9 times more than background level) has been found out at 14 species: Salix udensis Trautv. et Mey. and S. gracilistyla Miq. (Zn, Mn, Cd); Syringa wolfii C. K. Schneid. (Zn, Mn); Lonicera caerulea L. (Co, Cd); Rubus sachalinensis Levl. (Pb, Cd); Populus tremula L., Betula davurica Pall. and B. costata Trautv. (Zn); B. platyphylla Sukacz., Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz., Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. and Corylus mandshurica Maxim. (Mn); Euonymus macroptera Rupr. (Co), Alnus hirsuta (Spach) Fisch. ex Rupr. (Cu). The best abilities of the total metal accumulations have been observed at the families as Vitaceae Juss. (Pb, Co, Cd, Cu), Hydrangeaceae Dumort. (Ni, Co, Cd), Rhamnaceae Juss. (Pb, Co, Cd) and Shisandraceae Blume (Pb, Cu). All heavy metal contents, mentioned above, correspond to the local and backgroung levels at Sorbaria sorbifolia (L.) A. Br., minimum content – at Celastrus flagellaris Rupr. liane. Coniferous species have low ability to accumulate most metals and also Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr., Tilia amurensis Rupr., Salix caprea L., Ulmus pumila L., Maackia amurensis Rupr. et Maxim., Berberis amurensis Rupr. et al. The background contents of the most metals are registered in Acer mono Maxim., Abelia coreana Nakai, Crataegus maximowiczii C. K. Schneid., Phellodendron amurense Rupr., Ulmus japonica (Rehd.) Sarg., Viburnum burejaeticum Regel et Herd., V. sargentii Koehne. In the region of investigation the plant specificity and soils have been identified basing on the ecological and geochemical criteria. The plant species, which are perspective representatives for monitoring and photo indication in the regional environmental conditions, or close to them, have been proposed.

Keywords

• arboriflora
• geochemical ecology of plants
• heavy metals
• accumulation of heavy metals by plants