Dr Patryk Czortek together with researchers from the Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities assessed how complex soil abiotic conditions and the functional diversity of co-occurring vegetation shape the performance of Solidago canandensis L. on the wastelands abandoned by agriculture. Researchers have shown that:
- percent cover of Canadian goldenrod was greater in soils richer in clay particles and in conditions of low functional richness of vegetation co-occurring with S. canadensis. This proves the high adaptability of this species to pioneering conditions and the presence of life strategies that allow for the effective use of the resources offered by clay soil.
- With the increasing richness and functional dispersion of vegetation in the environment, the competitive ability of S. canadensis to monopolize the underground space, expressed in increased production of rhizome and root biomass, increased.
- Under the conditions of increased concentrations of zinc and lead in the soil, the biomass of S. canadensis inflorescences decreased, while the biomass of shoots increased. This points to difficulties in the development of generative organs under heavy metal stress and to the presence of life strategies to overcome the influence of toxic components on plant growth and development.
- The colonization success of S. canadensis in post-agricultural wasteland is determined to a greater extent by the physicochemical parameters of the substrate than by the functional diversity of vegetation in the environment.
Publication available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720325948