© 1989 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Mineral nutrients, carbohydrates and phenolic compounds in leaves of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in southern Sweden as related to environmental factors
A. -M. Balsberg Påhlsson
Department of Ecology, Plant Ecology, University of Lund, Ö. Vallgatan 14, S-223 61 Lund, Sweden / Received December 19, 1988
Summary
Concentrations of major elements, trace elements, starch, total sugars and phenols were measured in leaves of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees located at 89 sites in the province of Scania, southern Sweden. Concentrations of elements had only a weak relationship
to soil variables, but leaf N increased with distance from sources of industrial air pollution. Within-site variation in concentrations
of most elements was smaller than variation among sites and was lowest for N, P, K and Cu and highest for Mn. Most trees had
optimal or superoptimal concentrations of leaf N, whereas leaf concentrations of K, Mg and P were near or below the concentrations
needed for normal growth. Several nutrients were negatively correlated with leaf color, total sugars and phenols, whereas
insect damage was not related to any of the measured parameters.
