Estimating biomass of woody plants that grow in the different As-contaminated techno-soils in the ore-bearing provinces of Eastern Germany

  • V. Lovynska Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University
  • S. Stankevich Institute of Geological Sciences
  • S. Sytnyk Czech University of Life Science Prague
  • C. Montzka Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
  • K. Holoborodko Oles Honchar Dnipro National University
  • H. Heilmeier Technische Universität Bergakademie
  • О. Wiche Technische Universität Bergakademie
Keywords: metalloids; leaf area index; aboveground biomass; reclamation plants; multispectral images; Betula pendula; Populus tremula.

Abstract

Establishing the role of woody species as an instrument for heavy metal bioaccumulation is a relevant issue today in the context of the development of the phytoremediation system. The article presents the results of studies on the influence of different Arsenic (As) concentrations in soil on the development of aboveground biomass in Betula pendula Roth. and Populus tremula L. stands under conditions of reclamation plantings. The studies were conducted in 30 locations of birch and poplar tree plantations within the ore-producing regions of Saxony (Eastern Germany) in soil with different levels of As contamination. The highest As content was noted in the technosoil of the Davidschacht site, where the metalloid content was 229.3 times greater compared with a value in a conditionally uncontaminated area (Großschirma). The values of leaf area index and aboveground biomass obtained in field measurements were presented. The aboveground biomass values in the investigated plantations ranged from 189.9 ±10.16 to 201.8 ± 19.09 t/ha, and leaf area index values ranged from 1.74 ± 0.29 to 2.05 ± 0.16 m2/m2. Sentinel-2A multispectral images were processed for the construction of a map of the aboveground biomass distribution within the region under study. The values of the spectral indices for leaf area index were obtained with subsequent construction of the regression dependence of the aboveground biomass in the plantings on this indicator. The RMSE value for the developed model of the dependence of aboveground biomass on the leaf area index was 17.84 t/ha, which could be considered as satisfactory and can serve as a basis for practical application of the model developed. The inverse trend in relation to locations with different levels of soil contamination with As was determined for the aboveground biomass indicator. Within the region under study, the highest value of aboveground biomass in the stands was found for the area with the lowest As level. The results showed that the correlation coefficient between the highest of the optimal spectral indices, the leaf area index, and the aboveground biomass in B. pendula and P. tremula plantings was statistically significant and approached the value of 0.7. The results presented can become a theoretical basis for monitoring the accumulation of aboveground biomass of tree stands in areas with different levels of soil contamination with As. In perspective, the presented model of biomass estimation based on spectral technologies can serve as an application basis for rapid assessment of the growth and development parameters of forest stands in As-contaminated areas.

References

Alekseenko, V. A., Pashkevich, M. A., & Alekseenko, A. V. (2017). Metallisation and environmental management of mining site soils. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 174, 121–127.
Algreen, M., Trapp, S., & Rein, A. (2014). Phytoscreening and phytoextraction of heavy metals at Danish polluted sites using willow and poplar trees. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 21, 8992–9001.
Askar, Nuthammachot, N., Phairuang, W., Wicaksono, P., & Sayektiningsih, T. (2018). Estimating aboveground biomass on private forest using Sentinel-2 imagery. Journal of Sensors, 2018, 6745629.
Bergqvist, C., Herbert, R., Persson, I., & Greger, M. (2014). Plants influence on arsenic availability and speciation in the rhizosphere, roots and shoots of three different vegetables. Environmental Pollution, 184, 540–546.
Budzyńska, S., Goliński, P., Niedzielski, P., Gąsecka, M., & Mleczek, M. (2019a). Arsenic content in two-year-old Acer platanoides L. and Tilia cordata Miller seedlings growing under dimethylarsinic acid exposure – model experiment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26, 6877–6889.
Budzyńska, S., Krzesłowska, M., Niedzielski, P., Goliński, P., & Mleczek, M. (2019b). Arsenate phytoextraction abilities of one-year-old tree species and its effects on the nutritional element content in plant organs. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 21(10), 1019–1031.
Budzyńska, S., Mleczek, P., Szostek, M., Goliński, P., Niedzielski, P., Kaniuczak, J., & Mleczek, M. (2019c). Phytoextraction of arsenic forms in selected tree species growing in As-polluted mining sludge. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 54(9), 933–942.
Demirayak, A., Kutbay, H. G., Sürmen, B., & Kılıç, D. D. (2019). Arsenic accumulation in some natural and exotic tree and shrub species in Samsun Provience (Turkey). Anatolian Journal of Botany, 3(1), 13–17.
Drzewiecka, K., Piechalak, A., Goliński, P., Gąsecka, M., Magdziak, Z., Szostek, M., Budzyńska, S., Niedzielski, P., & Mleczek, M. (2019). Differences of Acer platanoides L. and Tilia cordata Mill. response patterns/survival strategies during cultivation in extremely polluted mining sludge. A pot trial. Chemosphere, 229, 589–601.
Fernández, S., Poschenrieder, C., Marcenò, C., Gallego, J. R., Jiménez-Gámez, D., Bueno, A., & Afif, E. (2017). Phytoremediation capability of native plant spe-cies living on Pb-Zn and Hg-As mining wastes in the Cantabrian range, north of Spain. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 174, 10–20.
Fitz, W. J., & Wenzel, W. W. (2002). Arsenic transformations in the soil-rhizophere-plant 1098 system: Fundamentals and potential application to phytoremediation. Journal of Biotechnology, 99, 259–278.
Forrester, D. I., Tachauer, I. H., Annighoefer, P., Barbeito, I., Pretzsch, H., Ruiz-Peinado, R., Stark, H., Vacchiano, G., Zlatanov, T., Chakraborty, T., Saha, S., & Sileshi, G. W. (2017). Generalized biomass and leaf area allometric equations for European tree species incorporating stand structure, tree age and climate. Forest Ecology and Management, 396, 160–175.
Fotis, A. T., Morin, T. H., Fahey, R. T., Hardiman, B. S., Bohrer, G., & Curtis, P. S. (2018). Forest structure in space and time: Biotic and abiotic determinants of canopy complexity and their effects on net primary productivity. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 250–251, 181–191.
Francesconi, K., Visoottiviseth, P., Sridokchan, W., & Goessler, W. (2002). Arsenic species in an arsenic hyperaccumulating fern, Pityrogramma calomelanos: A potential phytoremediator of arsenic-contaminated soils. Science of the Total Environment, 284, 27–35.
Fritz, E., & Jahns, C. (2017). Die Spülhalde Davidschacht in Freiberg – Geschichte, Umweltproblematik und geplante Sanierung [The flotation tailing „Davidschacht“ in Freiberg – history, environmental problems and planned remediation]. Freiberg Ecology Online, 2, 4–17 (in German).
Gąsecka, M., Drzewiecka, K., Magdziak, Z., Piechalak, A., Budka, A., Waliszewska, B., Szentner, K., Goliński, P., Niedzielski, P., Budzyńska, S., & Mleczek, M. (2021). Arsenic uptake, speciation and physiological response of tree species (Acer pseudoplatanus, Betula pendula and Quercus robur) treated with dimethylarsinic acid. Chemosphere, 263, 127859.
Gomes, M. P., Duarte, D. M., Miranda, P. L. S., Barreto, L. C., Matheus, M. T., & Garcia, Q. S. (2012). The effects of arsenic on the growth and nutritional status of Anadenanthera peregrina, a Brazilian savanna tree. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 175, 466–473.
Hikosaka, K. (2005). Leaf canopy as a dynamic system: Ecophysiology and optimality in leaf turnover. Annals of botany, 95(3), 521–533.
Kabata-Pendias, A. (2011). Trace elements in soil and plants. 4nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Koch, I., Wang, L. X., Ollson, C. A., Cullen, W. R., & Reimer, K. J. (2000). The predominance of inorganic arsenic species in plants from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Environmental Science and Technology, 34, 22–26.
Kozak, V. M., & Brygadyrenko, V. V. (2018). Impact of cadmium and lead on Megaphyllum kievense (Diplopoda, Julidae) in a laboratory experiment. Biosystems Diversity, 26(2), 128–131.
Lakida, P. (1996). Forest phytomass estimation for Ukraine. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg.
Lovynska, V., Lakyda, P., Sytnyk, S., Kharytonov, M., & Piestova, I. (2018). LAI estimation by direct and indirect methods in Scots pine stands in Northern Steppe of Ukraine. Journal of Forest Science, 64(12), 514–522.
Lu, D., Chen, Q., Wang, G., Liu, L., Li, G., & Moran, E. (2016). A survey of remote sensing based aboveground biomass estimation methods in forest ecosystems. International Journal of Digital Earth, 9(1), 63–105.
Łukowski, A., Popek, R., & Karolewski, P. (2020). Particulate matter on foliage of Betula pendula, Quercus robur, and Tilia cordata: Deposition and ecophysiology. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 10296–10307.
Magdziak, Z., Gąsecka, M., Budka, A., Goliński, P., & Mleczek, M. (2020). Profile and concentration of the low molecular weight organic acids and phenolic compounds created by two-year-old Acer platanoides seedlings growing under different As forms. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 392, 122280.
Matzen, S. L., Lobo, G. P., Fakra, S. C., Kakouridis, A., Nico, P. S., & Pallud, C. E. (2022). Arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata shows reduced biomass in soils with high arsenic and low nutrient availability, leading to increased arsenic leaching from soil. The Science of the Total Environment, 818, 151803.
Meharg, A. A., & Hartley-Whitaker, J. (2002). Arsenic uptake and metabolism in arsenic resistant and nonresistant plant species. New Phytologist, 154, 29–43.
Midula, P., Wiche, O., Wiese, P., & Andráš, P. (2017). Concentration and bioavailability of toxic trace elements, germanium, and rare earth elements in contaminated areas of the Davidschacht dump-field in Freiberg (Saxony). Freiberg Ecology Online, 2, 101–112.
Mleczek, M., Goliński, P., Krzesłowska, M., Gąsecka, M., Magdziak, Z., Rutkowski, P., & Niedzielski, P. (2017). Phytoextraction of potentially toxic elements by six tree species growing on hazardous mining sludge. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24(28), 22183–22195.
Moreno-Jiménez, E., Esteban, E., & Peñalosa, J. M. (2012). The fate of arsenic in soil-plant systems. In: Whitarce, D. M. (Ed.). Reviews of environmental conta-mination and toxicology. Springer, New York. Vol. 215. Pp. 1–37.
Nagajyoti, P. J., Lee, K. D., & Sreekanth, T. V. M. (2010). Heavy metals, occurrence and toxicity for plants: A review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 8, 199–216.
Petruzzelli, G., Pedron, F., & Rosellini, I. (2020). Bioavailability and bioaccessibility in soil: A short review and a case study. AIMS Environmental Science, 7, 208–225.
Pidlisnyuk, V., Stefanovska, T., Zhukov, O., Medkow, A., Shapoval, P., Stadnik, V., & Sozanskyi, M. (2022). Impact of plant growth regulators to development of the second generation energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus produced two years in marginal post-military soil. Applied Sciences, 12(2), 881.
Richert, E., Aufsfeld, P., & Olias, M. (2017). Biotop-typenausstattung der Spülhalde Davidschacht in Freiberg [Habitat types of the flotation tailing Davidschacht in Freiberg]. Freiberg Ecology Online, 2, 18–36 (in German).
Roque-Alvarezah, F. S., Sosa-Rodriguezb, J., Vazquez-Arenasc, M. A., Escobedo-Bretadoa, I., Labastidad, J. J., Corral-Rivase, A., Aragon-Pinaf, M., Armientag, A., Ponce-Peñaa, P., & Laraa, R. H. (2018). Spatial distribution, mobility and bioavailability of arsenic, lead, copper and zinc in low polluted forest ecosystem in North-Western Mexico. Chemosphere, 210, 320–333.
Stefan, T., Drechsel, M., Kratz, F., Kreißig, M., Säuberlich, A., Schaefer, J., Wiedener, W., Asch, R., & Wiche, O. (2022). Potentially toxic trace elements in soils and plants collected in allotment gardens of Freiberg. Freiberg Ecology Online, 10, 30–54.
Sytnyk, S., Lovynska, V., & Lakyda, I. (2017). Foliage biomass qualitative indices of selected forest forming tree species in Ukrainian Steppe. Folia Oecologica, 44(1), 38–45.
Takamatsu, T., Aoki, H., & Yoshida, T. (1982). Determination of arsenate, arsenite, monomethylarsonate, dimethylarsinate in soil polluted with arsenic. Soil Science, 1431(133), 239–246.
Wei, L., Pu, H., Wang, Z., Yuan, Z., Yan, X., & Cao, L. (2020). Estimation of soil arsenic content with hyperspectral remote sensing. Sensors, 20(14), 4056.
Wenzel, W. W. (2009). Rhizosphere processes and management in plant-assisted bioremediation (phytoremediation) of soils. Plant Soil, 321, 385–408.
Wiche, O., Zertani., V., Hentschel, W., Achtziger., R., & Midula, P. (2017). Germa-nium and rare earth elements in topsoil and soil-grown plants on diferent land use types in the mining area of Freiberg (Germany). Journal of Geochemical Exploration 175, 120–135.
Wuana, R. A., & Okieimen, F. E. (2011). Heavy metals in contaminated soils: A review of sources, chemistry, risks and best available strategies for remediation. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2011, 402647.
Xie, Q., Dash, J., Huete, A., Jiang, A., Yin, G., Ding, Y., Peng, D., Hall, C., Brown, L., Shi, Y., Ye, H., Dong, Y., & Huang, W. (2019). Retrieval of crop biophysical parameters from Sentinel-2 remote sensing imagery. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 80, 187–195.
Zaitseva, E., Stankevich, S., Kozlova, A., Piestova, I., Levashenko, V., & Rusnak, P. (2021). Assessment of the risk of disturbance impact on primeval and managed forests based on Earth observation data using the example of Slovak Eastern Carpathians. IEEE Access, 9, 162847–162856.
Zhao, F. J., Ma, F., Meharg, A. A., & McGrath, S. P. (2009). Arsenic uptake and metabolism in plants. New Phytologist, 181, 777–794.
Zheng, G., & Moskal, L. M. (2009). Retrieving leaf area index (LAI) using remote sensing: theories, methods and sensors. Sensors, 9(4), 2719–2745.
Zhukov, O., Kunah, O., Fedushko, M., Babchenko, A., & Umerova, A. (2021). Temporal aspect of the terrestrial invertebrate response to moisture dynamic in technosols formed after reclamation at a post-mining site in Ukrainian steppe drylands. Ekológia (Bratislava), 40(2), 178–188.
Published
2023-10-20
Section
Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)