Native Amazonian Canga Grasses Show Distinct Nitrogen Growth Responses in Iron Mining Substrates.

ABSTRACT: Native species may have adaptive traits that are advantageous for overcoming the adverse environmental conditions faced during the early stages of mine land rehabilitation. Here, we examined the nitrogen (N) growth responses of two native perennial grasses (Axonopus longispicus and Paspalum cinerascens) from canga in nutrient-poor iron mining substrates. We carried out vegetative propagation and recovered substantial healthy tillers from field-collected tussocks of both species. These tillers were cultivated in mining substrates at increasing N levels. The tillering rates of both species increased with the N application. Nonetheless, only in P. cinerascens did the N application result in significant biomass increase. Such growth gain was a result of changes in leaf pigment, stomatal morpho

SUBMITTER: Caldeira CF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8146357 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature