[Study on the response of middle and trace elements in Humulus scandens leaves to atmospheric reactive nitrogen with ICP-AES].

Based on field measurements, the effects of atmospheric reactive nitrogen (ARN) on the middle/trace element concentrations in the leaves of wild plant humulus scandens were analyzed. Leaves of H. scandens were collected from six sites around Beijing in the North China Plain, and the concentrations of Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, and Na in the leaves were determined with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The results showed that element concentrations in leaves ranked as Ca (41 106) > S (8 370) > Mg (6 628) > Fe(476) > Na (92) > B (78) > Mn (49) > Zn (38) > Cu (15) mg x kg(-1) dry matter; There were no significant difference in any of the individual element in the H. scandens leaves along the gradient of ARN, suggesting that the increasing demand of H. scandens for middle/trace elements, induced by the enhanced nitrogen availability from ARN, was not yet beyond the nutrient-supply limits of the local soils. This study offers reference to scientific assessments of the middle/trace element status in terrestrial herbaceous plants under the global background of increasing nitrogen deposition.