Abstract
Abstract. Abstract. Published work on the reflectance of vegetation growing over soil mineralizations is reviewed. Experimental work was carried out on several species grown in a glasshouse and was extended to a pilot field study. In the laboratory studies, the most general effects of Cd, Cu, Pb or Zn were growth inhibition. A detailed study of the leaf pigments of pea plants showed that the chl a/chl b ratio (chl=chlorophyll) decreased under conditions of Cd or Cu stress but showed little effect with Pb or Zn. However, the absorption spectra of chloroplast pigments were not found to show any wavelength shifts with metal treatments, indicating that new spectral forms of chlorophyll were not produced as a stress response. A decrease in the total chlorophyll content of leaf tissue (fresh weight basis) was correlated with an increase in visible-wavelength leaf reflectance (R) of pea plants. R at infrared wavelengths of 0.85 μm, 1.65 μm and 2.20 μm decreased in metal-treated plants, compared with controls. Although experiments with other species, and a review of published literature, indicate that reflectance effects are dependent on species, phase of growth cycle and environment, the existence of correlations between R at certain wavelengths and the metal concentrations to which roots are exposed was confirmed using oak trees growing naturally in the area of a copper-arsenic mineralization in south-west England. Metal (Cu or As) concentrations in the soil were strongly negatively correlated (p > 99 per cent) with R at 1.65 μm and 2.20 μm, and positively correlated (p > 95 per cent) with R at 0.660 μm, in close agreement with the experiments on pea plants. The inclusion of the relevant infrared bands on Earth resource survey instruments is likely to enhance their usefulness for detecting heavy metal stress in plants.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn generally inhibited plant growth in laboratory studies.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaet0
- Treatment
- Cd, Cu, Pb or Zne0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- inhibitione0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“the most general effects of Cd, Cu, Pb or Zn were growth inhibition”
t0“plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Cd or Cu stress decreased the pea leaf chl a/chl b ratio.
- Taxon
- pea plants
Lathyrus oleraceuse0 - Treatment
- Cd or Cu stresse0
- Outcome
- chl a/chl b ratioe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A detailed study of the leaf pigments of pea plants showed that the chl a/chl b ratio (chl=chlorophyll) decreased under conditions of Cd or Cu stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Pb or Zn had little effect on the pea leaf chl a/chl b ratio.
- Taxon
- pea plants
Lathyrus oleraceuse0 - Treatment
- Pb or Zne0
- Outcome
- chl a/chl b ratioe0
- Direction
- little effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A detailed study of the leaf pigments of pea plants showed that the chl a/chl b ratio (chl=chlorophyll) decreased under conditions of Cd or Cu stress but showed little effect with Pb or Zn”
Claim · model-written summary
Metal treatments produced no wavelength shifts in chloroplast pigment absorption spectra.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaet0
- Treatment
- metal treatmentse0
- Outcome
- absorption spectra of chloroplast pigmentse0
- Direction
- not found to show any wavelength shiftse0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“the absorption spectra of chloroplast pigments were not found to show any wavelength shifts with metal treatments”
t0“plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower pea leaf chlorophyll content correlated with higher visible wavelength reflectance.
- Taxon
- pea plants
Lathyrus oleraceuse0 - Organ / stage
- leaf tissuee0
- Compound
- chlorophylle0
- Outcome
- visible-wavelength leaf reflectance (R)e0
- Direction
- increasee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A decrease in the total chlorophyll content of leaf tissue (fresh weight basis) was correlated with an increase in visible-wavelength leaf reflectance (R) of pea plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
Infrared reflectance at 0.85, 1.65 and 2.20 μm decreased in metal-treated plants relative to controls.
Verbatim
e0“R at infrared wavelengths of 0.85 μm, 1.65 μm and 2.20 μm decreased in metal-treated plants, compared with controls.”
Claim · model-written summary
Oak soil Cu or As concentrations were strongly negatively correlated with reflectance at 1.65 and 2.20 μm.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“oak trees growing naturally in the area of a copper-arsenic mineralization in south-west England. Metal (Cu or As) concentrations in the soil were strongly negatively correlated (p > 99 per cent) with R at 1.65 μm and 2.20 μm”
Claim · model-written summary
Oak soil Cu or As concentrations were positively correlated with reflectance at 0.660 μm.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“oak trees growing naturally in the area of a copper-arsenic mineralization in south-west England. Metal (Cu or As) concentrations in the soil were strongly negatively correlated (p > 99 per cent) with R at 1.65 μm and 2.20 μm, and positively correlated (p > 95 per cent) with R at 0.660 μm”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors suggest infrared bands on Earth resource survey instruments would improve heavy metal stress detection in plants.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Outcome
- detecting heavy metal stress in plantse0
- Qualifier
- likelye0
Verbatim
e0“The inclusion of the relevant infrared bands on Earth resource survey instruments is likely to enhance their usefulness for detecting heavy metal stress in plants.”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.