Aluminium and Phosphate Uptake by Phragmites australis: the Role of Fe, Mn and Al Root Plaques

Aluminium, a potentially phytotoxic metal, is an important constituent of many mine water discharges but has largely been neglected in the literature. The behaviour of this element in the rhizosphere of the wetland plant Phragmites australis was investigated in the laboratory in the presence and abs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of botany 2002-04, Vol.89 (4), p.443-449
Main Authors: BATTY, LESLEY C., BAKER, ALAN J. M., WHEELER, BRYAN. D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acid soils
Aluminum
Aluminum - metabolism
Aluminum - pharmacology
Coatings
Iron
Iron - metabolism
Iron - pharmacology
Manganese
Manganese - metabolism
Manganese - pharmacology
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Original
Oxides
Phosphates
Phosphates - metabolism
Phosphorus - metabolism
Phragmites australis
Plant roots
Plant Roots - drug effects
Plant Roots - metabolism
Plant Roots - ultrastructure
Plant Shoots - metabolism
Plants
Poaceae - metabolism
Spectrum Analysis
Wetland plants
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Summary:Aluminium, a potentially phytotoxic metal, is an important constituent of many mine water discharges but has largely been neglected in the literature. The behaviour of this element in the rhizosphere of the wetland plant Phragmites australis was investigated in the laboratory in the presence and absence of Mn and Fe root plaques. Electron microscopy and chemical extraction techniques were utilized to determine the physico-chemical properties of the plaques and any association of Al. Both Mn and Fe plaques occurred as amorphous coatings on root surfaces with uneven distributions. Al was not adsorbed onto the surface of either plaque type but formed a separate phosphate deposit closely resembling the Fe and Mn plaques. Phosphorus was also found to be adsorbed to the surface of the Fe plaques (but not the Mn plaques). Both mechanisms were found to immobilize P at the root surface but this did not significantly reduce the concentration of P in aerial plant tissues that was sufficient to ensure adequate growth.
ISSN:0305-7364
1095-8290
DOI:10.1093/aob/mcf067