SR-XRF analysis of Polytrichum in the Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Xiansheng, Shen, Shixiu, Kang, Liguang, Sun, Xuebin, Yin, Ziqin, Wu, Wei, He
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2002
• Subjects: Fildes; Fildes peninsula; Advances in Polar Science; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2242/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2242/1/A200202002.pdf

In order to study the element contents and distribution of various mosses collected in the Antarctica, we analyzed the heavy elements of 3 species of Polytrichum in the Fildes Peninsula, P. alpinum, P. juniperinum and P. alpestre, by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF). The result shows that the elements, such as K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Sr, are nearly the same in Polytrichum. The peak intensity of K is higher than that of Ca, and the peak intensity of Ca is higher than that of Fe in P. alpinum. In P. juniperinum, the peak intensity of K is higher than that of Ca, and the peak intensity of Ca is close to that of Fe. The peak intensity of K is nearly equal to those of Ca and Fe in P. alpestre. Therefore, the habitats of 3 species of Polytrichum are similar in the Fildes Peninsula. By XRF analyzing of different parts of P. alpestre, we found that the peak intensities of relative concentration of elements are obviously different. The peak intensity of K in apical-bud is the highest in organism. The peak intensity ratio of K/Ca is 1.30, but they are below 1.0 in all the other parts. The peak intensity of Mn in pseudo-root is the highest in organism, and the peak intensity ration of Mn/Fe is 0.21, the biggest. In the parts of older leaf and pseudo-root, the ratios of Cu/Zn are 1.20 and 1.84 respectively, whereas they are less than 1 in the other parts. The element Br is seen specially in the older leaf and pseudo-root, that may result from the organs aged, and enhance the ability of anti-rottenness itself.