Adil GÜNER, Vehbi ESER - optima

STUDY ON ERICA ANDEVALENSIS ADAPTATION STRATEGIES AND
DISTRIBUTION
S. Rossini OLIVA, B. VALDÉS, R. BARGAGLI, F. MONACI, M.D. MINGORANCE, E.O.
LEIDI
Erica andevalensis Cabezudo & Rivera is a vulnerable edapho-endemic species of the Iberian
Pyrite Belt, where it grows on acidic soils (pH 2.5-3.5) particularly contaminated with toxic
metals. Its main interest, besides its taxonomic position within genus Erica, relies on its
potential use for soil reclamation and landscape restoration.
An interdisciplinary study has been undertaken in order to evaluate the tolerance strategies of
this species to survive and colonize the mining areas of the Pyritic Belt. Major and trace
element concentrations were determined in different soil samples and plant parts of Erica
andevalensis growing in Riotinto mining area and different experiments under controlled
conditions with different Cu, Zn and Pb concentration in a nutrient solution were carried out.
In addition, SEM obervations were done to study localization of some toxic metals (Cu and
Pb) at tissue levels.
Erica andevalensis tolerance might be associated with preferential accumulation of metals in
roots which avoids its translocation into aboveground parts and increased synthesis of organic
ligands (e.g. histidine in the case of Zn and Cu exccess) and polyamines (in the case of Cu
exccess).
Microscopic observations showed that at root level, Pb was mainly localized in the epidermal
tissues which act as an effective barrier limiting the transport throught the other tissues. At
leaf level a mechanism of Cu compartimentation in the abaxial epidermis was observed that
restrict its accumulation in the mesophyll.
The results of soil analysis showed a wide spatial heterogeneity of element concentrations in
the study area, even if the general feature is a low and/or an imbalanced content of several
essential elements. This makes difficult to know which are the soil characters which may
particularly affect the species geographical distribution.
Keywords: Ericaceae, contamination, metal tolerance, metal uptake.
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