Dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and nitrate reductase and acidic phosphatase activities in Imperata cylindrica on copper mine tailings

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.00159

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Our objective was to study self-regulation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient use by Imperata cylindrica at different growth stages on copper mine tailings.
Methods We obtained samples from two different nutrient habitats: copper mine tailings and farmlands. We investigated N and P distributions, N∶P, nutrient resorption rate, nitrate reductase and acidic phosphatase activities in I. cylindrica organs.
Important findings The N and P distributions in I. cylindrica differed by growth period. During the initial stage of growth, N and P in both populations were mainly in the rhizomes. At bud and mature times, N and P concentrations were highest in leaves and lowest in roots and rhizome. At the decay period, N and P concentrations in senescent leaves were (9.19 ± 0.80) and (0.05 ± 0.03) mg·g^-1, respectively, which were significantly lower than for the control farmland. The N and P resorption efficiencies of I. cylindrica leaves in the tailings were 49.54%-65.22% and 74.71%-98.71%, respectively, with P in senescent leaves resorbed completely. However, values for the farmland system were 18.18%-52.81% and 71.39%-84.07%, respectively. These results indicated that the poor nutrition condition of the tailings can increase I. cylindrica nutrient resorption efficiency. Nitrate reductase activity of I. cylindrica leaves in the tailings was significantly higher than in the farmlands (p < 0.05); this is useful to regulate I. cylindrica nitrogen metabolism activities. But with plant growth, the differences gradually disappeared. At the same growth period, acidic phosphatase activity of I. cylindrica leaves between the tailings and the farmlands were not significantly significant (p > 0.05). With plant growth, the acidic phosphatase activities increased, which was conducive to decompose organophosphate in senescent leaves and increase P resorption efficiencies.

Key words: acidic phosphatase, copper tailings, Imperata cylindrica, nitrate reductase, nitrogen, nutrient resorption, phosphorus

SHEN Zhang-Jun, SUN Qing-Ye, TIAN Sheng-Ni. Dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and nitrate reductase and acidic phosphatase activities in Imperata cylindrica on copper mine tailings[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2012, 36(2): 159-168.

Add to citation manager EndNote|Ris|BibTeX

URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.00159

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2012/V36/I2/159

Figures/Tables 6

References 38

[1]	Aerts R (1990). Nutrient use efficiency in evergreen and deciduous species from heathlands. Oecologia, 84, 391-397. DOI URL PMID
[2]	Aerts R (1996). Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of perennials: Are there general patterns? Journal of Ecology, 84, 597-608.
[3]	Aerts R, Chapin FS III (2000). The mineral nutrition of wild plants revisited: a re-evaluation of processes and patterns. Advances in Ecological Research, 30, 1-67.
[4]	Aerts R, Cornelissen JHC, van Logtestijn RSP, Callaghan TV (2007). Climate change has only a minor impact on nutrient resorption parameters in a high-latitude peatland. Oecologia, 151, 132-139. DOI URL PMID
[5]	An ZS (安宗胜), Zhan J (詹婧), Sun QY (孙庆业) (2010). Changes of nitrogen components in wastelands of copper mine tailings with the formation of natural plant communities. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 30, 5958-5966. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[6]	Ascencio J (1996). Growth strategies and utilization of phosphorus in Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp and Desmodium tortuosum (SW.) DC. under phosphorus deficiency. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 27, 1971-1993.
[7]	Berendse F, Aerts R (1987). Nitrogen use efficiency: a biologically meaningful definition? Functional Ecology, 1, 293-296.
[8]	Chapin FS III (1980). The mineral nutrition of wild plants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 11, 233-260. DOI URL
[9]	Chen Z (陈政), Yang GD (阳贵德), Sun QY (孙庆业) (2009). Effects of bio-crust on soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in copper mine tailings. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 20, 2193-2198. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[10]	David TC (1985). Factors affecting mineral nutrient acquisition by plants. Annual Review of Plant Physiology, 36, 77-115.
[11]	del Arco JM, Escudero A, Garrido MV (1991). Effects of site characteristics on nitrogen retranslocation from senescing leaves. Ecology, 72, 701-708.
[12]	Elliott GC, Läuchli IA (1986). Evaluation of an acid phosphatase assay for detection of phosphorus deficiency in leaves of maize (Zea mays L.). Journal of Plant Nutrition, 9, 1469-1477.
[13]	Güsewell S, Koerselman M (2002). Variation in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of wetland plants. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 5, 37-61.
[14]	Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院南京土壤研究所) (1978). Analysis of Soil Physical and Chemical Properties (土壤理化分析). Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, Shanghai. 63-157. (in Chinese)
[15]	Killingbeck KT (1986). The terminologial jungle revisited: making a case for use of the term resorption. Oikos, 46, 263-264.
[16]	Killingbeck KT (1996). Nutrients in senesced leaves: keys to the search for potential resorption and resorption proficiency. Ecology, 77, 1716-1727.
[17]	Koide RT, Dickie IA, Goff MD (1999). Phosphorus deficiency, plant growth and the phosphorus efficiency index. Functional Ecology, 13, 733-736. DOI URL
[18]	Leng Q (冷琴), Yang YL (杨雅玲) (2002). Major biological characters of Imperata cyrillo (Poaceae) from China. Journal of Nanjing University (Natural Sciences) (南京大学学报(自然科学)), 38, 703-715. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[19]	Li Y (李影), Wang YB (王友保), Liu DY (刘登义) (2003). Investigation on the vegetation of copper tailing wasteland in Shizishan, Tongling, Anhui Province. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 14, 1981-1984. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[20]	Liang X (梁霞), Liu AQ (刘爱琴), Ma XQ (马祥庆), Feng LZ (冯丽贞), Chen YL (陈友力). (2005). The effect of phosphorus deficiency stress on activities of acid phosphatase in different clones of Chinese FIR. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 29, 54-59. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[21]	Liu AM (刘爱民), Huang WY (黄为一) (2005). Microbial activities and functional diversity of community in soils polluted with copper tailings after cultivate. Ecology and Environment (生态环境), 14, 876-879. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[22]	Liu L (刘丽), Gan ZJ (甘志军), Wang XZ (王宪泽) (2004). Advances of studies on the regulation of nitrate metabolism of plants at nitrate reductase level. Acta Botanica Boreali-Occidentalia Sinica (西北植物学报), 24, 1355-1361. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[23]	Loqué D, Tillard P, Gojon A, Lepetit M (2003). Gene expression of the NO₃^- transporter NRT_{1. 1} and the nitrate reductase NIA₁ is repressed in Arabidopsis roots by NO₂^-, the product of NO₃^- reduction. Plant Physiology, 132, 958-967. DOI URL PMID
[24]	May JD, Killingbeck KT (1992). Effects of preventing nutrient resorption on plant fitness and foliar nutrient dynamics. Ecology, 73, 1868-1878.
[25]	Olde VH, Wassen MJ, Verkroost AWM, de Ruiter PC (2003). Species richness-productivity patterns differ between N-, P-, and K- limited wetlands. Ecology, 84, 2191-2199.
[26]	Santa RI, Rico M, Rapp M, Gallego HA (1997). Seasonal variation in nutrient concentration in leaves and branches of Quercus pyrenaica. Journal of Vegetation Science, 8, 651-654.
[27]	Shang WQ (尚文勤), Zhu LP (朱利平), Sun QY (孙庆业), Yang LZ (杨林章) (2008). The changes of soil microbes of tailings wastelands in processes of restoration of natural ecology. Ecology and Environment (生态环境), 17, 713-717. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[28]	Shen ZJ (沈章军), Wang YB (王友保), Wang GL (王广林), Liu DY (刘登义) (2005). Heavy metals pollution of Paeonia ostii land at copper-tailings reservoir of Tongling City: a preliminary study. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 16, 673-677. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[29]	Sun QY (孙庆业), Ren GJ (任冠举), Yang LZ (杨林章), An SQ (安树青) (2005). Effect of natural plant communities on soil enzyme activities in deserted copper mine tailings dumps. Acta Pedologica Sinica (土壤学报), 42, 37-43. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[30]	Tadano T, Sakai H (1991). Secretion of acid phosphatase by the roots of several crop species under phosphorus- deficient conditions. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 37, 129-140.
[31]	Tessier JT, Raynal DJ (2003). Use of nitrogen to phosphorus ratios in plant tissue as an indicator of nutrient limitation and nitrogen saturation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 40, 523-534.
[32]	Tian SN (田胜尼), Sun QY (孙庆业), Wang ZF (王铮峰), Peng SL (彭少麟), Xia HP (夏汉平) (2005). Plant colonization on copper tailings and the change of the physio-chemistry properties of substrate in Tongling City, Anhui Province. Resources and Environment in the Yangtze Basin (长江流域资源与环境), 14, 88-93. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[33]	Wright IJ, Westoby M (2003). Nutrient concentration, resorption and lifespan: leaf traits of Australian sclerophyll species. Functional Ecology, 17(3), 10-19.
[34]	Yuan ZY, Li LH, Han XG, Huang JH, Jiang GM, Wan SQ, Zhang WH, Chen QS (2005). Nitrogen resorption from senescing leaves in 28 plant species in a semi-arid region of northern China. Journal of Arid Environments, 63, 191-202.
[35]	Zeng DH (曾德慧), Chen GS (陈广生), Chen FS (陈伏生), Zhao Q (赵琼), Ji XY (冀小燕) (2005). Foliar nutrients and their resorption efficiencies in four Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations of different ages on sandy soil. Scientia Silvae Sinicae (林业科学), 41(5), 21-27. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[36]	Zha SP (查书平), Ding YG (丁裕国), Wang ZY (王宗英), Wang QF (汪权方), Sun QY (孙庆业) (2004). Study on soil animal community in copper mine tailings in Tongling City. Ecology and Environment (生态环境), 13, 167-169. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[37]	Zhang SY (张世英), Cheng BG (程炳篙) (1987). Nitrate reductase and its dynamic adjustment factor. Journal of Shandong Agricultural University (山东农业大学学报), 18(3), 81-88. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[38]	Zhang ZL (张志良) (1986). Plant Biochemistry Techniques and Methods (植物生化技术和方法). Agricultural Press, Beijing. 30. (in Chinese)

样地 Sample site	有机质 Organic matter (g·kg^-1)	总氮 Total nitrogen (g·kg^-1)	硝态氮 Nitrate nitrogen (mg·kg^-1)	有效磷 Available phosphorus (mg·kg^-1)	pH	电导率 Electric conducti- vity (dS·m^-1)
铜尾矿 Copper tailings	7.85 ± 0.14	0.41 ± 0.075	5.87 ± 1.49	4.25 ± 1.63	8.12 ± 0.32	1.03 ± 0.14
农田 Farmland	13.75 ± 1.23	0.75 ± 0.091	13.67 ± 6.23	15.81 ± 8.42	6.89 ± 0.13	0.44 ± 0.32

样地 Sample site	有机质 Organic matter (g·kg^-1)	总氮 Total nitrogen (g·kg^-1)	硝态氮 Nitrate nitrogen (mg·kg^-1)	有效磷 Available phosphorus (mg·kg^-1)	pH	电导率 Electric conducti- vity (dS·m^-1)
铜尾矿 Copper tailings	7.85 ± 0.14	0.41 ± 0.075	5.87 ± 1.49	4.25 ± 1.63	8.12 ± 0.32	1.03 ± 0.14
农田 Farmland	13.75 ± 1.23	0.75 ± 0.091	13.67 ± 6.23	15.81 ± 8.42	6.89 ± 0.13	0.44 ± 0.32

样地 Sample site	生长期 Growth period	根 Root	根状茎 Rhizome	成熟叶 Mature leaf	衰老叶 Senescent leaf
铜尾矿 Copper tailings	3月 March	15.59 ± 0.91^cd	26.65 ± 2.40^d	-	-
	4月 April	14.51 ± 0.93^c	19.27 ± 2.89^bc	27.02 ± 3.64^bc	-
	6月 June	9.71 ± 1.85^a	18.11 ± 0.68^b	20.25 ± 1.44^a	7.65 ± 0.65^a
	10月 October	15.49 ± 0.77^cd	25.81 ± 7.84^d	19.88 ± 0.64^a	9.19 ± 0.80^a
农田 Farmland	3月 March	16.29 ± 0.59^d	22.77 ± 0.72^cd	-	-
	4月 April	10.87 ± 0.84^ab	11.39 ± 0.58^a	29.59 ± 2.78^c	-
	6月 June	11.71 ± 1.49^b	21.42 ± 1.36^bc	29.49 ± 1.25^c	16.10 ± 1.96^b
	10月 October	15.49 ± 0.63^cd	21.61 ± 1.27^bc	25.11 ± 0.99^b	18.53 ± 1.79^b

样地 Sample site	生长期 Growth period	根 Root	根状茎 Rhizome	成熟叶 Mature leaf	衰老叶 Senescent leaf
铜尾矿 Copper tailings	3月 March	15.59 ± 0.91^cd	26.65 ± 2.40^d	-	-
	4月 April	14.51 ± 0.93^c	19.27 ± 2.89^bc	27.02 ± 3.64^bc	-
	6月 June	9.71 ± 1.85^a	18.11 ± 0.68^b	20.25 ± 1.44^a	7.65 ± 0.65^a
	10月 October	15.49 ± 0.77^cd	25.81 ± 7.84^d	19.88 ± 0.64^a	9.19 ± 0.80^a
农田 Farmland	3月 March	16.29 ± 0.59^d	22.77 ± 0.72^cd	-	-
	4月 April	10.87 ± 0.84^ab	11.39 ± 0.58^a	29.59 ± 2.78^c	-
	6月 June	11.71 ± 1.49^b	21.42 ± 1.36^bc	29.49 ± 1.25^c	16.10 ± 1.96^b
	10月 October	15.49 ± 0.63^cd	21.61 ± 1.27^bc	25.11 ± 0.99^b	18.53 ± 1.79^b

样地 Sample site	生长期 Growth period	根 Root	根状茎 Rhizome	成熟叶 Mature leaf	衰老叶 Senescent leaf
铜尾矿 Copper tailings	3月 March	0.19 ± 0.05^ab	0.31 ± 0.03^ab	-	-
	4月 April	0.57 ± 0.19^d	0.27 ± 0.03^ab	1.07 ± 0.23^a	-
	6月 June	0.27 ± 0.06^bc	0.35 ± 0.05^b	1.73 ± 0.57^c	0.15 ± 0.12^a
	10月 October	0.34 ± 0.04^c	0.52 ± 0.11^c	0.73 ± 0.22^ab	0.05 ± 0.03^a
农田 Farmland	3月 March	0.06 ± 0.02^a	0.36 ± 0.05^bc	-	-
	4月 April	0.16 ± 0.02^ab	0.15 ± 0.07^a	0.30 ± 0.03^a	-
	6月 June	0.89 ± 0.08^e	1.57 ± 0.02^d	2.25 ± 0.14^c	0.39 ± 0.03^b
	10月 October	0.61 ± 0.15^d	1.80 ± 0.22^e	2.09 ± 0.20^c	0.49 ± 0.06^b