TY - JOUR
T1 - Exceptional nitrogen-resorption efficiency enables Maireana species (Chenopodiaceae) to function as pioneers at a mine-restoration site
AU - Zhong, Hongtao
AU - Zhou, Jun
AU - Wong, Wei San
AU - Cross, Adam
AU - Lambers, Hans
PY - 2021/7/20
Y1 - 2021/7/20
N2 - Tailings are among the most challenging mined substrates for plant re-establishment, in particular because of a lack of soil-like structure and nitrogen. Potential pioneer plants are sometimes found in such disturbed and infertile sites. We present a group of pioneer species from the genus Maireana (Chenopodiaceae) that are promising candidates for the restoration of magnetite tailings. We found that these Maireana species did not rely on biologically fixed N from the atmosphere, but exhibited an exceptionally high leaf N-resorption efficiency (about 95%) during leaf senescence, at the same time effectively scavenging trace amount of N from the substrate, in part through rapid transpiration.
AB - Tailings are among the most challenging mined substrates for plant re-establishment, in particular because of a lack of soil-like structure and nitrogen. Potential pioneer plants are sometimes found in such disturbed and infertile sites. We present a group of pioneer species from the genus Maireana (Chenopodiaceae) that are promising candidates for the restoration of magnetite tailings. We found that these Maireana species did not rely on biologically fixed N from the atmosphere, but exhibited an exceptionally high leaf N-resorption efficiency (about 95%) during leaf senescence, at the same time effectively scavenging trace amount of N from the substrate, in part through rapid transpiration.
KW - Maireana
KW - Mine site restoration
KW - Nitrogen-resorption efficiency
KW - Nitrogen-resorption proficiency
KW - Pioneer species
KW - Tailings
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102551197&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146420
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146420
M3 - Article
C2 - 33743470
AN - SCOPUS:85102551197
VL - 779
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
SN - 0048-9697
M1 - 146420
ER -