Research priorities for conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and their potential for restoration and site remediation

S N  Whiting; Roger D. Reeves; D. Richards; M. S. Johnson; J A  Cooke; F  Malaisse; D. A. Paton; J A C  Smith; J S  Angle; R L  Chaney; R  Ginocchio; T  Jaffre; R  Johns; T  McIntyre; O W  Purvis; D E  Salt; H  Schat; F J  Zhao; A J M  Baker

doi:10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x

Research priorities for conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and their potential for restoration and site remediation

S N Whiting
, Roger D. Reeves
, D. Richards
, M. S. Johnson
, J A Cooke
, F Malaisse
, D. A. Paton
, J A C Smith
, J S Angle
, R L Chaney
, R Ginocchio
, T Jaffre
, R Johns
, T McIntyre
, O W Purvis
, D E Salt
, H Schat
, F J Zhao
, A J M Baker^* (Corresponding Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

287 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Plants that have evolved to survive on metal-rich soils-metallophytes-have key values that must drive research of their unique properties and ultimately their conservation. The ability of metallophytes to tolerate extreme metal concentrations commends them for revegetation of mines and metal-contaminated sites. Metallophytes can also be exploited in environmental technologies, for example, phytostabilization, phytoremediation, and phytomining. Actions towards conserving metallophyte species are imperative, as metallophytes are increasingly under threat of extinction from mining activity. Although many hundreds of papers describe both the biology and applications of metallophytes, few have investigated the urgent need to conserve these unique species. This paper identifies the current state of metallophyte research, and advocates future research needs for the conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and the sustainable uses of metallophyte species in restoration, rehabilitation, contaminated site remediation, and other nascent phytotechnologies. Six fundamental questions are addressed: (1) Is enough known about the global status of metallophytes to ensure their conservation? (2) Are metallophytes threatened by the activities of the minerals industry, and can their potential for the restoration or rehabilitation of mined and disturbed land be realized? (3) What problems exist in gaining prior informed consent to access metallophyte genetic resources and how can the benefits arising from their uses be equitably shared? (4) What potential do metallophytes offer as a resource base for phytotechnologies? (5) Can genetic modification be used to "design" metallophytes to use in the remediation of contaminated land? (6) Does the prospect of using metallophytes in site remediation and restoration raise ethical issues?

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	106-116
Number of pages	11
Journal	Restoration Ecology
Volume	12
Issue number	1
Early online date	23 Feb 2004
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x
Publication status	Published - Mar 2004
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Rio Tinto for implementation and generous support of the Robert Brooks Workshop (RBG) 2001, and to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for hosting and participation. Special thanks to Oscar Groeneveld and Andrew Vickerman (Rio Tinto), to Professor Peter Crane, FRS (RBG Kew), and to David Richards, Professor Mike Johnson and Sarah Kesby (Rio Tinto) for the planning and organization of the workshop. We would also thank Kerry ten Kate and Phyllida Cheyne (RBG Kew) and Andy Jackson and Fred Rumsey (Natural History Museum, London, U.K.) for their input.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

conservation of biodiversity
ecosystem
hyperaccumulators
metal tolerance
rehabilitation
remediation engineering
stabilization
hyperaccumulator thlaspi caerulescens
Heavy metal detoxification
cellular compartmentation
phytoremediation
zinc
tolerance
nickel
plants
soils
biosolids

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Cite this

Whiting, S. N., Reeves, R. D., Richards, D., Johnson, M. S., Cooke, J. A., Malaisse, F., Paton, D. A., Smith, J. A. C., Angle, J. S., Chaney, R. L., Ginocchio, R., Jaffre, T., Johns, R., McIntyre, T., Purvis, O. W., Salt, D. E., Schat, H., Zhao, F. J., & Baker, A. J. M. (2004). Research priorities for conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and their potential for restoration and site remediation. Restoration Ecology, 12(1), 106-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x

Whiting, SN, Reeves, RD, Richards, D, Johnson, MS, Cooke, JA, Malaisse, F, Paton, DA, Smith, JAC, Angle, JS, Chaney, RL, Ginocchio, R, Jaffre, T, Johns, R, McIntyre, T, Purvis, OW, Salt, DE, Schat, H, Zhao, FJ & Baker, AJM 2004, 'Research priorities for conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and their potential for restoration and site remediation', Restoration Ecology, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 106-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x

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abstract = "Plants that have evolved to survive on metal-rich soils-metallophytes-have key values that must drive research of their unique properties and ultimately their conservation. The ability of metallophytes to tolerate extreme metal concentrations commends them for revegetation of mines and metal-contaminated sites. Metallophytes can also be exploited in environmental technologies, for example, phytostabilization, phytoremediation, and phytomining. Actions towards conserving metallophyte species are imperative, as metallophytes are increasingly under threat of extinction from mining activity. Although many hundreds of papers describe both the biology and applications of metallophytes, few have investigated the urgent need to conserve these unique species. This paper identifies the current state of metallophyte research, and advocates future research needs for the conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and the sustainable uses of metallophyte species in restoration, rehabilitation, contaminated site remediation, and other nascent phytotechnologies. Six fundamental questions are addressed: (1) Is enough known about the global status of metallophytes to ensure their conservation? (2) Are metallophytes threatened by the activities of the minerals industry, and can their potential for the restoration or rehabilitation of mined and disturbed land be realized? (3) What problems exist in gaining prior informed consent to access metallophyte genetic resources and how can the benefits arising from their uses be equitably shared? (4) What potential do metallophytes offer as a resource base for phytotechnologies? (5) Can genetic modification be used to {"}design{"} metallophytes to use in the remediation of contaminated land? (6) Does the prospect of using metallophytes in site remediation and restoration raise ethical issues?",

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author = "Whiting, \{S N\} and Reeves, \{Roger D.\} and D. Richards and Johnson, \{M. S.\} and Cooke, \{J A\} and F Malaisse and Paton, \{D. A.\} and Smith, \{J A C\} and Angle, \{J S\} and Chaney, \{R L\} and R Ginocchio and T Jaffre and R Johns and T McIntyre and Purvis, \{O W\} and Salt, \{D E\} and H Schat and Zhao, \{F J\} and Baker, \{A J M\}",

note = "Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to Rio Tinto for implementation and generous support of the Robert Brooks Workshop (RBG) 2001, and to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for hosting and participation. Special thanks to Oscar Groeneveld and Andrew Vickerman (Rio Tinto), to Professor Peter Crane, FRS (RBG Kew), and to David Richards, Professor Mike Johnson and Sarah Kesby (Rio Tinto) for the planning and organization of the workshop. We would also thank Kerry ten Kate and Phyllida Cheyne (RBG Kew) and Andy Jackson and Fred Rumsey (Natural History Museum, London, U.K.) for their input.",

year = "2004",

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doi = "10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x",

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T1 - Research priorities for conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and their potential for restoration and site remediation

AU - Whiting, S N

AU - Reeves, Roger D.

AU - Richards, D.

AU - Johnson, M. S.

AU - Cooke, J A

AU - Malaisse, F

AU - Paton, D. A.

AU - Smith, J A C

AU - Angle, J S

AU - Chaney, R L

AU - Ginocchio, R

AU - Jaffre, T

AU - Johns, R

AU - McIntyre, T

AU - Purvis, O W

AU - Salt, D E

AU - Schat, H

AU - Zhao, F J

AU - Baker, A J M

N1 - Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to Rio Tinto for implementation and generous support of the Robert Brooks Workshop (RBG) 2001, and to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for hosting and participation. Special thanks to Oscar Groeneveld and Andrew Vickerman (Rio Tinto), to Professor Peter Crane, FRS (RBG Kew), and to David Richards, Professor Mike Johnson and Sarah Kesby (Rio Tinto) for the planning and organization of the workshop. We would also thank Kerry ten Kate and Phyllida Cheyne (RBG Kew) and Andy Jackson and Fred Rumsey (Natural History Museum, London, U.K.) for their input.

PY - 2004/3

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N2 - Plants that have evolved to survive on metal-rich soils-metallophytes-have key values that must drive research of their unique properties and ultimately their conservation. The ability of metallophytes to tolerate extreme metal concentrations commends them for revegetation of mines and metal-contaminated sites. Metallophytes can also be exploited in environmental technologies, for example, phytostabilization, phytoremediation, and phytomining. Actions towards conserving metallophyte species are imperative, as metallophytes are increasingly under threat of extinction from mining activity. Although many hundreds of papers describe both the biology and applications of metallophytes, few have investigated the urgent need to conserve these unique species. This paper identifies the current state of metallophyte research, and advocates future research needs for the conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and the sustainable uses of metallophyte species in restoration, rehabilitation, contaminated site remediation, and other nascent phytotechnologies. Six fundamental questions are addressed: (1) Is enough known about the global status of metallophytes to ensure their conservation? (2) Are metallophytes threatened by the activities of the minerals industry, and can their potential for the restoration or rehabilitation of mined and disturbed land be realized? (3) What problems exist in gaining prior informed consent to access metallophyte genetic resources and how can the benefits arising from their uses be equitably shared? (4) What potential do metallophytes offer as a resource base for phytotechnologies? (5) Can genetic modification be used to "design" metallophytes to use in the remediation of contaminated land? (6) Does the prospect of using metallophytes in site remediation and restoration raise ethical issues?

AB - Plants that have evolved to survive on metal-rich soils-metallophytes-have key values that must drive research of their unique properties and ultimately their conservation. The ability of metallophytes to tolerate extreme metal concentrations commends them for revegetation of mines and metal-contaminated sites. Metallophytes can also be exploited in environmental technologies, for example, phytostabilization, phytoremediation, and phytomining. Actions towards conserving metallophyte species are imperative, as metallophytes are increasingly under threat of extinction from mining activity. Although many hundreds of papers describe both the biology and applications of metallophytes, few have investigated the urgent need to conserve these unique species. This paper identifies the current state of metallophyte research, and advocates future research needs for the conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and the sustainable uses of metallophyte species in restoration, rehabilitation, contaminated site remediation, and other nascent phytotechnologies. Six fundamental questions are addressed: (1) Is enough known about the global status of metallophytes to ensure their conservation? (2) Are metallophytes threatened by the activities of the minerals industry, and can their potential for the restoration or rehabilitation of mined and disturbed land be realized? (3) What problems exist in gaining prior informed consent to access metallophyte genetic resources and how can the benefits arising from their uses be equitably shared? (4) What potential do metallophytes offer as a resource base for phytotechnologies? (5) Can genetic modification be used to "design" metallophytes to use in the remediation of contaminated land? (6) Does the prospect of using metallophytes in site remediation and restoration raise ethical issues?

KW - conservation of biodiversity

KW - ecosystem

KW - hyperaccumulators

KW - metal tolerance

KW - rehabilitation

KW - remediation engineering

KW - stabilization

KW - hyperaccumulator thlaspi caerulescens

KW - Heavy metal detoxification

KW - cellular compartmentation

KW - phytoremediation

KW - zinc

KW - tolerance

KW - nickel

KW - plants

KW - soils

KW - biosolids

UR - https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/id/eprint/13135/

U2 - 10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00367.x

M3 - Article

SN - 1061-2971

VL - 12

SP - 106

EP - 116

JO - Restoration Ecology

JF - Restoration Ecology

IS - 1

ER -

Research priorities for conservation of metallophyte biodiversity and their potential for restoration and site remediation

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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