Subject: Re: INDICATOR PLANTS - REPLY - dirk.txt [1/1]

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 04 Jan 1995 17:25:37

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Dirk Lamprecht) writes:
>In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Joachim Schuering) says:
>>
>>Does anyone know more about this especially about the use of plants to
>>indication soil contamination
>I once heard that in Zambia there is a specific flower growing on copper rich soils.
>Have never seen one.

>>Any help would be appreciated.

To all:
	One of the more interesting indicator plants in Italy is Alyssum
bertollini, which hyperaccumulates cobalt and copper and so does poorly on
soils not rich in these elements. This is not a unique phenomeon, I suggest you
get onto the nearest computer equipped with Agricola and do a search on
hyperaccumulation and <element> or something like that. 
	There are many plants which tend to indicate relative alkalinity of the
soil. There are many species which are highly efficient at gathering iron (also
Zn, Cu, and Mn) and so tend to be outcompeted in soils which are not alkaline
enough to cause trouble for the inefficient cultivars or landraces.
	As for water, around here, if there's water underfoot, the grass is
green. Otherwise, it's probably brown!!

Lidia A. Hess                *   That weakness overcomes strength
PSES/College of Ag           *   And gentleness overcomes rigidity
MSU Bozeman MT               *   No one does not know
GLH81802trex.oscs.montana.edu*   Yet no one puts into practice...Lao Tzu