Nickel hyperaccumulation in the serpentine flora of Albania
Résumé
Serpentine soils are widespread in Albania, they host some widespread species and several nickel hyperaccumulating species. The objectives of the study were the identification and collection of new and rare species, the discovery of new instances of Ni hyperaccumulation, in which plant species can accumulate Ni to concentrations exceeding 0.1% of the plant dry weight. In Albania, there has already been special interest in Ni accumulation by Alyssum murale in Pojska (Pogradec). We now report instances of hyperaccumulation of Ni (reaching shoot concentrations of 0.5-1.26% d.w.) in plants of some serpentine soils i.e. in Kukes, Qafe Shtame, Gramsh and Librazhd. Most plants from these soils showed slightly elevated Ni concentrations in comparison with those from other soil types: about 11-100 mg kg(-1), rather than 0.5-10 mg kg(-1). In some species Ni content ranged between 145-275 mg kg(-1), while the same species from the non-serpentine substrata contained very low Ni concentrations as expected. Full knowledge of Albanian Ni hyperaccumulator plants and their properties is of interest because of their possible use in phytomining. This study was undertaken in the framework of the need for further exploration of the natural resources and the associated conservation issues.