Calcium and potassium dynamics and biopurification in two populations of the subalpine evergreen shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum

Abstract

Calcium (Ca) and potassium (K) are important acidity neutralizers in soils and essential elements for plants. These two elements are known to undergo a biopurification within the plant (i.e., discrimination against strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) for Ca, and rubidium (Rb) for K). However variations in the magnitude of this process between plant populations have rarely been reported, especially in high altitude, nutrient-depleted habitats. Concentrations of Ca, Sr, Ba, K and Rb were measured in roots, stems and in the different leaf cohorts in two populations of the evergreen shrub R. ferrugineum located at a granitic high elevation site. Calcium and K concentrations in leaves were respectively ~5 and 3 times higher than in roots and stems. Ca concentration increased while K concentration decreased with leaf age. The ratios Ca/Sr, Ca/Ba and K/Rb increased from roots to leaves, revealing a significant biopurification especially between stems and leaves. This phenomenon was higher for Ca than for K, with Ca/Sr and Ca/Ba ratios more than twice and 4 times higher in leaves than in roots, respectively, while K/Rb ratio in leaves was only 50% higher than in roots. Ca/Sr ratio decreased whereas K/Rb increased with leaf age. While the first could result from a "chromatographic effect" of the vascular column, the latter suggests the existence of biopurification mechanisms during influx/efflux of K from the leaf. Surprisingly, the magnitude of Ca biopurification varied between populations on a small geographical scale suggesting that Ca/Sr ratio should be used cautiously for plant Ca source identification.