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Climate change, invasive species and toxic plant substances in soil and water

Article  in  IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science · February 2009

DOI: 10.1088/1755-1307/6/30/302022

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2009 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 6 302022

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 Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 6 (2009) 302022 doi:10.1088/1755-1307/6/0/302022
P30.14
Climate change, invasive species and toxic plant substances in soil and water
Johannes Kollmann(1), BW Strobel(2), HC Bruun Hansen(2)
(1) University of Copenhagen, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Frederiksberg, Denmark
(2) University of Copenhagen, Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Frederiksberg, Denmark

Climate change is predicted to lead to increasing temperatures and new patterns of precipitation in the
temperate zone. These changes and associated trends in land use will affect the successional pathways of
terrestrial ecosystems. One key component of altered succession is invasive plant species (Thiele et al., in
press), which get more easily dispersed due to increasing global trade and human mobility, and which may
find new niches due to climatic change. Some of these species, as for example Bracken (Pteridium
aquilinum) and Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) produce toxic ptaquiloside and
furanocoumarins, respectively, which can affect surface and ground water quality. Leaching and dispersion
of these toxins in the environment may increase due to episodic high summer precipitation. Bracken is here
given as an example. Bracken can infest a broad diversity of soils, and often is found invading forest
margins (Fig. 1), deforested land, heathland and abandoned farmland; places at which it usually forms dense
monocultures which can cover large areas, as seen in Scotland and New Zealand. The ptaquiloside toxin
produced by Bracken is transferred to soil from where is can leach to the aquatic environment (Rasmussen et
al., 2005; Ovesen et al., 2008). Ptaquiloside is highly water soluble and hence sorption to soil is insignificant
and the leachability of ptaquiloside resembles that of nitrate. Ptaquiloside is carcinogenic and hence even
very low concentrations (10–50 ng l-1) are harmful in drinking water. Ptaquiloside can also enter the food
chain through milk as ptaquiloside is transferred to milk when cows browse on Bracken. The degradation of
ptaquiloside in soil is strongly controlled by temperature, soil properties (i.e. texture and pH) and microbial
activity. Hence, future changes in precipitation patterns and intensities combined with Bracken populations
infesting new areas are expected to increase the spread of ptaquiloside in the environment. These effects,
however, will be moderated by higher temperatures. Another interesting aspect which needs further studies
is related to the changes in the annual growth cycle of the species. Earlier spring causes Bracken shoots to
emerge earlier and hence ptaquiloside may be produced and leached when soil temperatures are still low
which causes less degradation. A further aspect is related to the amount of ptaquiloside produced in Bracken
which is highly variable and may be under climatic control (Rasmussen et al., in press). Based on this case
study, the presentation will carefully discuss potential interactions between climate change, invasive species
and toxic plant substances using a range of examples from the temperate zone.

References
Ovesen, R.G., Rasmussen, L.H. & Hansen, H.C.B. (2008) Degradation kinetics of ptaquiloside in soil and soil solution.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 27, 252–259. Rasmussen, L.H., Hansen, H.C.B. & Lauren, D. (2005) Sorption,
degradation and mobility of ptaquiloside, a carcinogenic Bracken (Pteridium sp.) constituent, in the soil environment.
Chemosphere, 58, 823–835. Rasmussen, L.H., Lauren, D.R., Smith, B.L. & Hansen, H.C.B. (in press) Variation in ptaquiloside
content in bracken (Pteridium esculentum (Forst. f) Cockayne) in New Zealand. New Zealand Veterinary Journal.


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