Biogeochemical specialization of plants in Polesye landscapes of the Meschera lakeland

We employ an approach that reveals the heterogeneity of the inner landscape space which manifests itself by different sets of elementary landscapes in neighboring catenas. The assessment of biogeochemical diversity requires analyzing the absorption of chemical elements by plants of various systematic groups, considering the origin of the species and their relations with the ecological and geochemical conditions of edaphotopes. The biogeochemical specialization of plants was studied in the southern taiga Polesye landscapes of the Meshchera lakeland. Geochemical sampling was carried out by catenas. The analytical data were interpreted using a complex of special indicators, i. e. the ash content in the plants and the intensity of biological absorption of elements, with resulting classification of the plants under study. Lower ash content is typical of boreal dwarf shrubs and mosses. The low ash content in the archegonial species agree well with their occurrence in the forests with a conservative type of biological cycle that existed in the paleophyte and mesophyte. The spruce is found in rich habitats and shows the higher ash content in its needles compared to pine ones. An increase in the species diversity in line with the ability to accumulate ash elements was revealed for angiosperms. As judged by the activity of absorption of trace elements most of the plants of the Polesye landscapes have a cationophilic specialization. These include the dominant trees of coniferous forests, heather dwarf shrubs, boreal small grasses, ferns, and horsetails. Their relation with the Jurassic and Tertiary centers of speciation in humid forest landscapes is shown. They prevail in the upper sections of catenas in Polesye landscapes. Representatives of ancient (mosses) and young (grasses and some sedges) floras show less pronounced differences in the accumulation of cationogenic and anionogenic elements. They dominate super-aquatic meadow and bog landscapes in the lower sections of catenas. The biogeochemical specialization of phytocenoses and their particular layers, as well as their barrier functions vary with their species composition. Common cationogenic specialization of tree and dwarf shrub layers was revealed for the pine dwarf shrub-green moss forests. It ensures fixation of biogenic elements (Mn, Zn etc.) on the phytobarrier and reduces their loss under the acid leaching. The moss cover specializes in the accumulation of V, Cr and Ti. The association of accumulated elements is somewhat different in meadows and swamps, thus increasing the heterogeneity and contrast of the catenas.

1. Ajvazjan A.D., Kasimov N.S. O geohimicheskoj specializacii rastenij [On geochemical specialization of plants]. Vestn. Mosk. unta, Ser. 5, Geogr., 1979, no. 3, p. 42–47. (In Russian)

2. Avessalomova I.A. Biogeokhimiya landshafta [Landscape biogeochemistry]. Moscow, MSU Faculty of Geography Publ., 2007, 162 p. (In Russian)

3. Avessalomova I.A. Catenary geochemical organization of taiga landscapes in the East European Plain. Geohimiya landshaftov i geografiya pochv [Landscape geochemistry and soil geography]. Moscow, APR, 2012, p. 97–117.

4. Avessalomova I.A., Khoroshev A.V., Savenko A.V. Barrier function of floodplain and riparian landscapes in river runoff formation // Pokrovsky O.S. (ed.). Riparian zones. Characteristics, management practices, and ecological impacts. Nova Science Publishers, New York, 2016, p. 181–210.

5. Avessalomova I.A., Mikljaeva I.M. Strukturno-funkcional’nye osobennosti lugov i bolot v landshaftah Central’noj Meshhery [Structural and functional features of meadows and swamps in the landscapes of Central Meschera]. Vestn. Mosk. un-ta, Ser. 5, Geogr., 1997, no. 1, p. 43–48. (In Russian)

6. Bargagli R. Biogeohimija nazemnyh rastenij. [Biogeochemistry of terrestrial plants]. Moscow, GEOS, 2005, 457 p. (In Russian)

7. Biologicheskaja flora Moskovskoj oblasti [Biological flora of the Moscow region]. Moscow University Publ., 1980, iss. 5, 192 p. (In Russian)

8. Biologicheskaja flora Moskovskoj oblasti [Biological flora of the Moscow region]. Moscow University Publ., 1990, iss. 8, 272 p. (In Russian)

9. Biologicheskaja flora Moskovskoj oblasti [Biological flora of the Moscow region]. Moscow University Publ., 1993, iss. 9, chast. 1, 112 p. (In Russian)

10. Bowen H.J.M. Trace elements in biochemistry. London; New Vork, Academic Press, 1966, 256 p.

11. Dobrovol’skiy V.V. Osnowy biogeokhimii. [Fundamentals of biochemistry]. Moscow, Publishing center «Akademia», 2003, 342 p. (In Russian)

12. Fortescue J.A.C. Environmental Geochemistry. A Holistic Approach. New York-Heidelberg-Berlin: Springer Verlad, 1980, 347 p.

13. Glazovskaja M.A. [Geochemical barriers in soils: taxonomy, functioning, and significance for the environment] Geohimija landshaftov i geografija pochv [Landscape geochemistry and soil geography]. Moscow, APR, 2012, p. 26–44. (In Russian)

14. Glazovskaja M.A. Biogeohimicheskaja organizovannost’ ekologicheskogo prostranstva v prirodnyh i antropogennyh landshaftah kak kriterij ih ustojchivosti [Biogeochemical organization of ecological space in natural and anthropogenic landscapes as an indicator of their resistance]. Izw. RAN, Ser. Geograficheskaya, 1992, no. 5, p. 5–12. (In Russian)

15. Kabata-Pendias A. Trace elements in soils and plants. L, N.-Y., CRC Press, 2011, 505 p.

16. Kasimov N.S., Lychagin M.Yu., Chalov S.R., Shinkareva G.L. Parageneticheskie assotsiatsii elementov v landshaftakh [Paragenetic associations of chemical elements in landscapes]. Vestn. Mosk. unta, Ser. 5, Geogr., 2019, no. 6, p. 20–28. (In Russian)

17. Kist A.A. Fenomenologija biogeohimii i bioneorganicheskoj himii [Phenomenology of biogeochemistry and bioinorganic chemistry]. Tashkent, FAN, 1987, 236 p. (In Russian)

18. Krivcov V.A., Tobratov S.A., Vodorezov A.V. et al. Prirodnyj potencial landshaftov Rjazanskoj oblasti [Natural potential of landscapes of the Ryazan region]. S.A. Esenin Ryazan State Univ. Publ., 2011, 768 p. (In Russian)

19. Perel’man A.I. Geohimicheskij landshaft kak samoorganizujuschajasja sistema [Geochemical landscape as a selforganizing system]. Vestn. Mosk. un-ta, Ser. 5, Geogr., 1995, no. 4, p. 10–16. (In Russian)

20. Perel’man A.I., Kasimov N.S. Geohimija landshafta [Landscape geochemistry]. Moscow, «Astreja – 2000», 1999, 768 p. (In Russian)

21. Shkol’nik M.Ya. Mikrojelementy v zhizni rastenij [Trace elements in plants’ life]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1974, 324 p. (In Russian)

22. Vinogradov A.P. Srednee soderzhanie himicheskih elementov v glavnyh tipah izverzhennyh gornyh porod zemnoj kory [Mean concentrations of chemical elements in the principal types of igneous rocks of the Earth’s crust]. Geohimiya, 1962, no. 7, p. 555–571. (In Russian)