ORIGINAL RESEARCH
State of Mineral Nutrition and Heavy Metals
Distribution in Aboveground Biomass
of Poplar Clones
Rudolf Petráš, Gabriela Jamnická, Julian Mecko, Eva Neuschlová
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1National Forest Centre – Forest Research Institute, T.G.Masaryka 22, Zvolen, Slovakia
2Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Štúrova 2, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovakia
3Slovak Forest Products Research Institute, Lamačská cesta 3, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2012;21(2):447-453
ABSTRACT
The state of mineral nutrition as well as accumulation and translocation of selected heavy metals As,
Cr, Hg, and Pb were evaluated in poplar clones Robusta (Populus x euramericana) and I-214 (Populus x
euramericana). These clones are characterized by fast growth and biomass production of relatively high quality.
Soil water quantity and its dynamics is one of the most important factors for growth of poplar clones, in
relation to their high transpiration and nutrient transport. The research was conducted in two locations in eastern
and three in western Slovakia. The poplars were grown on alluvial plains continuously influenced by
ground waters from surrounding rivers. Differences in As, Cr, and Pb concentrations were recorded among the
locations only, whereas between these single-clones no differences were confirmed. Different accumulation
patterns were found for some elements (Ca, K, Si) in poplars compared to those of softwood (spruce) and hardwood
(beech) species. The mineral elements (Ca, K, Mg, Na, Si) were accumulated in above-ground parts as
follows: stem > “small-wood”/bark > wood. Cr was the most represented risk element in biomass, while Hg
reached the highest concentrations and in contrast to essential elements was accumulated predominantly in
wood. A potential source of Hg was soil/water environment.