Aluminum toxicity to tropical montane forest tree seedlings in southern Ecuador: response of biomass and plant morphology to elevated Al concentrations

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 382; no. 1-2; pp. 301 - 315
• Main Authors: Rehmus, Agnes, Bigalke, Moritz, Valarezo, Carlos, Castillo, Julio Mora, Wilcke, Wolfgang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer-Verlag 01.09.2014; Springer; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Aluminum; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Botany; Cedrela odorata; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Contamination; dose response; Ecology; Environmental aspects; Forest soils; Forest trees; Forestry research; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Handroanthus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus; Health aspects; Hydroponics; Indigenous species; Leachates; Leaf area; Life Sciences; montane forests; Morphology; Mountain forests; Nutrient concentrations; Organic foods; Organic matter; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Phytotoxicity; pioneer species; Plant growth; Plant morphology; Plant Physiology; Plant roots; Plant Sciences; Plant species; Plant-soil relationships; Plants; primary productivity; Regular Article; Seedlings; Seeds; shoots; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Tabebuia; Toxicity; Trees; Tropical forests; Ecuador; South America; America; Dose-response curves; Organic layer leachate; Aluminum toxicity; Tropical forest tree seedlings; Organic matter; Toxicity; Plant juvenile growth stage; Tropical zone; Physical environment; Biomass; Dose activity relation; Mountain; Developmental stage; Intertropical zone; Forest tree; Response curve; Aluminium; Tropical forest; Woody plant; Concentration; Tropical montane forest; Response; Morphology; Soil plant relation; Leachate; Mountain forest

AIMS: In acid tropical forest soils (pH <5.5) increased mobility of aluminum might limit aboveground productivity. Therefore, we evaluated Al phytotoxicity of three native tree species of tropical montane forests in southern Ecuador. METHODS: An hydroponic dose-response experiment was conducted....