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Do Tropical Nickel Hyperaccumulators Mobilize Metals into Epiphytes? A Test Using Bryophytes from New Caledonia


Metadata FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributorRobert S. Boyd, boydrob@auburn.eduen_US
dc.creatorBoyd, Robert S.
dc.creatorWall, Michael A.
dc.creatorJaffré, Tanguy
dc.date.accessioned2021-01-04T15:41:11Z
dc.date.available2021-01-04T15:41:11Z
dc.date.created2009
dc.identifier10.1656/045.016.0512en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1656/045.016.0512en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/49945
dc.description.abstractHyperaccumulator plants mobilize large amounts of certain elements from the soil into their tissues. Those elements then may be transferred to other organisms in those communities. Using a humid tropical forest site in New Caledonia, we tested whether epiphytes (mosses and liverworts) growing on Ni hyperaccumulator hosts contained greater levels of Ni (and seven other metals) than those growing on non-hyperaccumulator hosts. We selected two Ni hyperaccumulator species, Psychotria douarrei and Hybanthus austrocaledonicus, pairing individuals of each species with similar-sized non-hyperaccumulators and collecting epiphytes from each for elemental analysis. Samples of epiphytes and host plant leaves were analyzed for concentrations of eight metals (Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Two-way ANOVA was used to assess the infl uence of host type (hyperaccumulator or non-hyperaccumulator), epiphyte group, and the interaction term. Leaves of both Ni hyperaccumulator species had greater Ni concentrations than the paired nonhyperaccumulator species, but leaf concentrations of other metals (Co, Cr, Fe, Pb, and Zn) were higher as well in one or both cases. The strongest infl uence on epiphyte elemental composition was found to be the host type factor for Ni. Epiphytes collected from hyperaccumulator hosts had signifi cantly greater Ni concentrations than those collected from non-hyperaccumulator hosts. Epiphyte Ni concentrations often exceeded the threshold used to defi ne Ni hyperaccumulation (1000 +g/g), showing that some epiphytes (in most cases those growing on Ni hyperaccumulators) also hyperaccumulate Ni. Six of the epiphytes we analyzed, four liverworts (Frullania ramuligera, Schistochila sp., Morphotype #1 and Morphotype #13) and two mosses (Calyptothecium sp. and Aerobryopsis wallichii), had at least one specimen containing more than 1000 +g Ni/g and hence qualify as Ni hyperaccumulators. We conclude that Ni could move from Ni hyperaccumulator hosts to their epiphytes, either from leachates/exudates from tissues or from accumulated external dust, thus potentially mobilizing Ni still further into the food webs of these humid tropical forests.en_US
dc.formatPDFen_US
dc.relation.ispartofNortheastern Naturalisten_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries1092-6194en_US
dc.rights© 2009. This is the version of record published by Eagle Hill Institute and is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Item should be cited as: Do Tropical Nickel Hyperaccumulators Mobilize Metals into Epiphytes? A Test Using Bryophytes from New Caledonia Authors: Boyd, Robert S., Wall, Michael A., and Jaffré, Tanguy Source: Northeastern Naturalist, 16(sp5) : 139-154 Published By: Eagle Hill Institute URL: https://doi.org/10.1656/045.016.0512en_US
dc.titleDo Tropical Nickel Hyperaccumulators Mobilize Metals into Epiphytes? A Test Using Bryophytes from New Caledoniaen_US
dc.typeTexten_US
dc.type.genreJournal Article, Academic Journalen_US
dc.citation.volume16en_US
dc.citation.issueSP5en_US
dc.citation.spage139en_US
dc.citation.epage254en_US
dc.description.statusPublisheden_US
dc.description.peerreviewYesen_US

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