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The role of soil metal contamination in the vegetative assemblage development of an urban brownfield
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Text
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Title
The role of soil metal contamination in the vegetative assemblage development of an urban brownfield
Identifier
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http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.17311
Identifier
ETD_858
Language
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English
Genre
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theses
Subject
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(authority = RUETD)
Topic
Ecology and Evolution
Subject
(ID = SBJ-2);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Soils--Heavy metal content
Subject
(ID = SBJ-3);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Soil pollution
Subject
(ID = SBJ-4);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Plants--Effects of metals on
Abstract
Anthropogenic sources of toxic elements have seriously compromised the ecological integrity of many green areas in urban landscapes. Analysis of soil samples from a brownfield within Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, shows that arsenic, chromium, lead, zinc and vanadium exist at concentrations above those considered ambient for the area. Accumulation and translocation features were characterized for the dominant plant species of four vegetative assemblages.
A comparison of soil metal maps and vegetative assemblage maps indicates that northern hardwoods dominated areas of increasing total soil metal load while semi-emergent marshes, consisting mostly of endemic species were restricted primarily to areas of low soil metal load.
Using both satellite imagery and field spectral measurement we examined plant productivity at the assemblage and individual specimen level. In addition, we studied longer-term growth trends via tree core data (basal area increase). Leaf chlorophyll content within the hardwood assemblage correlated with a threshold model for metal tolerance, decreasing significantly beyond a total soil metal index of 3.5. Biomass production in Betula populifolia (Marsh) (Gray Birch), the co-dominant tree species, demonstrated an inverse relationship with the concentration of Zn in the leaf tissue during the growing season. Incremental basal area growth in B. populifolia also exhibited a reciprocal relationship with soil metal load.
The results of this study also indicate that B. populifolia, employs a strategy whereby different wing loading rates result from variation in size and weight of the seed. The decrease in seed size correlated well with total soil metal load, while the correlation with seed weight was marginal.
All three areas of the study indicate that assemblage development is impacted if not driven by soil metal contamination. Hence, models for vegetative assembly development, at least those associated with contamination gradients within the urban context, should account for these abiotic factors rather than focusing primarily on competition or facilitation between species.
A comparison of soil metal maps and vegetative assemblage maps indicates that northern hardwoods dominated areas of increasing total soil metal load while semi-emergent marshes, consisting mostly of endemic species were restricted primarily to areas of low soil metal load.
Using both satellite imagery and field spectral measurement we examined plant productivity at the assemblage and individual specimen level. In addition, we studied longer-term growth trends via tree core data (basal area increase). Leaf chlorophyll content within the hardwood assemblage correlated with a threshold model for metal tolerance, decreasing significantly beyond a total soil metal index of 3.5. Biomass production in Betula populifolia (Marsh) (Gray Birch), the co-dominant tree species, demonstrated an inverse relationship with the concentration of Zn in the leaf tissue during the growing season. Incremental basal area growth in B. populifolia also exhibited a reciprocal relationship with soil metal load.
The results of this study also indicate that B. populifolia, employs a strategy whereby different wing loading rates result from variation in size and weight of the seed. The decrease in seed size correlated well with total soil metal load, while the correlation with seed weight was marginal.
All three areas of the study indicate that assemblage development is impacted if not driven by soil metal contamination. Hence, models for vegetative assembly development, at least those associated with contamination gradients within the urban context, should account for these abiotic factors rather than focusing primarily on competition or facilitation between species.
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x, 222 pages
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Ph.D.
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Gallagher
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Francis J. (Frank J.)
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Francis J. (Frank J.) Gallagher
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Grabosky
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Jason
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chair
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Jason Grabosky
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Smouse
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Peter
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Peter E Smouse
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Lockwood
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Julie
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Julie Lockwood
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Weis
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Judith
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Judith S Weis
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Shaw
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Judith
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Judith Shaw
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Rutgers University
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Graduate School - New Brunswick
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2008
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2008-05
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Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore19991600001
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doi:10.7282/T3BG2PC0
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ETD doctoral
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Open
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Frank Gallagher
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Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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Non-exclusive ETD license
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
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