Using Multi-Scale Sampling and Spatial Cross-Correlation to Investigate Patterns of Plant Species Richness

Land managers need better techniques to assess exoticplant invasions. We used the cross-correlationstatistic, I _YZ, to test for the presence ofspatial cross-correlation between pair-wisecombinations of soil characteristics, topographicvariables, plant species richness, and cover ofvascular plants in a 754 ha study site in RockyMountain National Park, Colorado, U.S.A. Using 25 largeplots (1000 m²) in five vegetation types, 8 of 12variables showed significant spatial cross-correlationwith at least one other variable, while 6 of 12variables showed significant spatial auto-correlation. Elevation and slope showed significant spatialcross-correlation with all variables except percentcover of native and exotic species. Percent cover ofnative species had significant spatialcross-correlations with soil variables, but not withexotic species. This was probably because of thepatchy distributions of vegetation types in the studyarea. At a finer resolution, using data from ten1 m² subplots within each of the 1000 m² plots, allvariables showed significant spatial auto- andcross-correlation. Large-plot sampling was moreaffected by topographic factors than speciesdistribution patterns, while with finer resolutionsampling, the opposite was true. However, thestatistically and biologically significant spatialcorrelation of native and exotic species could only bedetected with finer resolution sampling. We foundexotic plant species invading areas with high nativeplant richness and cover, and in fertile soils high innitrogen, silt, and clay. Spatial auto- andcross-correlation statistics, along with theintegration of remotely sensed data and geographicinformation systems, are powerful new tools forevaluating the patterns and distribution of native andexotic plant species in relation to landscape structure.     

Vegetation, Soil, and Animal Indicators of Rangeland Health

We studied indicators of rangeland health on benchmark sites with long, well documented records of protection from stress by domestic livestock or histories of environmental stress and vegetation change. We measured ecosystem properties (metrics) that were clearly linked to ecosystem processes. We focused on conservation of soil and water as key processes in healthy ecosystems, and on maintenance of biodiversity and productivity as important functions of healthy ecosystems. Measurements from which indicators of rangeland health were derived included: sizes of unvegetated patches, cover and species composition of perennial grasses, cover and species composition of shrubs and herbaceous perennials, soil slaking, and abundance and species composition of the bird fauna. Indicators that provided an interpretable range of values over the gradient from irreversibly degraded sites to healthy sites included: bare patch index, cover of long-lived grasses, palatability index, and weighted soil surface stability index. Indicators for which values above a threshold may serve as an indicator of rangeland health include: cover of plant species toxic to livestock, cover of exotic species, and cover of increaser species. Several other indicator metrics were judged not sensitive nor interpretable. Examples of application of rangeland health indicators to evaluate the success of various restoration efforts supported the contention that a suite of indicators are required to assess rangeland health. Bird species diversity and ant species diversity were not related to the status of the sample site and were judged inadequate as indicators of maintenance of biodiversity.     

Bioaccumulation of Trace Elements in a Wild Grass Three Years After the Aznalcóllar Mine Spill (South Spain)

In this paper, we surveyed the concentration of nine trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Tl and Zn) in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) 3 years after the mine spill in Aznalcóllar (south Spain). The results were compared with those that had been obtained for the same species in a previous study, 18 months after the accident. Three types of soil condition were determined: i) unaffected soils (UN, control); ii) cleaned up and amended soils (A, amended); and (iii) non-amended soils, inaccessible to the clean-up and remediation operations (NA, non-amended). The trace element concentrations in the plants were lower than those reported in the first sampling for both washed (plant tissues) and unwashed plants (as consumed by herbivores). Apart from Cd, trace elements concentrations (plant tissues) were similar in the A and the UN soils. In the NA soils, the Cd, Fe, Mn, Zn and Pb levels in unwashed plants were excessive for animal consumption. This wild grass seems to be suitable as a soil stabilizer for spill affected soils and as a biomonitor for soil pollution by some trace elements (As, Cu and Zn); however, its potential for phytoextraction is negligible.     

Heavy metals in soils near the nickel smelter: chemistry,spatial variation,and impacts on plant diversity

Air pollution induced changes were observed both in plant communities and in soil chemistry in forest ecosystems near the nickel-copper smelter in the Kola Peninsula, Russia. All measured forest plant community parameters describing their floristic composition and structure were affected by pollution. Heavy metals were significantly concentrated in organic horizons of forest soils. The concentrations of ammonium acetate-extractable nickel and copper in organic horizons near the smelter were approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the background levels in the region. Based on pH values, air pollution has not resulted in a detectable topsoil acidification near the smelter. However, concentrations of extractable magnesium, potassium and nitrogen in organic horizons tended to be lower towards the smelter. The spatial variability of data obtained results in necessity of the two complementary, macroscopic and microscopic, approaches to ecosystem investigation. The macroscopic approach better revealed the influence of pollution. The ordination of the major species diversity indexes was highly related to soil properties, suggesting that the content of heavy metals and nutrients is the best soil related predictor of species diversity in polluted areas. Besides direct input of pollutants from the atmosphere, soil contamination and nutritional disturbance contribute significantly to the observed vegetation damage in subarctic forest ecosystems.     

Bioindication of a surplus of heavy metals in terrestrial ecosystems

A survey of the methods of boindication of heavy metals in terrestrial ecosystems and their effectiveness for predicting the consequences of environmental stress on organisms is presented. Two main inputs of heavy metals for terrestrial ecosystems have been considered: airborne and soil-borne. Airborne metals can be monitored due to physical adsorption on plant surfaces or due to chemical exchange processes in cell walls. Active biomonitoring widely uses both aspects, however, without predictive values. Meaningful bioindication of soilborne heavy metals can only be achieved by passive monitoring. Due to the different functions of heavy metals in organisms-micronutrients and trace elements-the knowledge of natural background values is important, considering the qualitative aspects of metals in the soil. In exceptional situations morphological and anatomical changes of plant organs will facilitate bioindication; in every case chemical analysis of the concentration of heavy metals is an essential part of the monitoring program. A long-term exposure of organisms to heavy metals will influence the genetic structure of populations. Therefore measurement of heavy metal tolerance of plants has to be a standard procedure in monitoring programs.     

Disturbance of Dabao highway construction on plant species and soil nutrients in Longitudinal Range Gorge Region (LRGR) of Southwestern China

The disturbance of highway construction upon surrounding vulnerable ecosystems is a common threat in the Longitudinal Range Gorge Region of southwestern China. We evaluated the disturbance of highway on plant species richness and diversity and soil nutrients from adjacent to the highway to 300 m upslope and 100 m downslope in forests and grasslands by setting 12 belt transects in forests and grasslands (six belt transects and six control belt transects, respectively). The results showed that there were some significant variances in belt transects with respective control belt transects for species richness and diversity in both forests and grasslands. Species richness and diversity of trees were lower within a 50-m distance from the highway and more noticeable on the downslope portion. Species richness and diversity of shrubs and herbs appeared higher near highway edge. Both species richness and diversity of herbs were similar in forests. In addition, exotic species, such as Eupatorium adenophorum, were further from the road and more widely dispersed in grasslands. Soil nutrients except total potassium (TK) were lower in the downslope area adjacent to highway edge and showed a significant increase with increasing distance from the highway in both forests and grasslands. This indicates that grasslands acted as microhabitats for exotic species and are more easily to be invaded than forests, especially if disturbed. Once destroyed, plant species and soil nutrients will require a significant amount of time to be restored to control levels. This work illustrates that the effects extend considerably to distances upslope and downslope from the construction site. Given that these changes occurred relatively quickly, the study suggests that the environmental "footprint" grows far beyond the road and adjacent zone of disruption.     

Ants as Indicators of Exposure to Environmental Stressors in North American Desert Grasslands

The relative abundance of ant species was measured by pit-fall trapping at 44 sites in southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, U.S.A.. Sites were selected for study based on documentation of a history of disturbance or protection from disturbance, exposure to varying intensities of livestock grazing, dominance by an exotic species of plant and vegetation change resulting from disturbance or restoration efforts. Ant community composition, relative abundances of species, and species richness were the same on disturbed and undisturbed sites. None of the metrics based on hypothesized responses of ants to disturbance clearly distinguished between disturbed and undisturbed sites. Ant communities on sites where restoration efforts have resulted in distinct differences in vegetative cover and composition were similar to the ant communities on degraded unrehabilitated sites on the same soil type. Ant communities in riparian cottonwood gallery forests in Arizona and New Mexico were similar but differed from the assemblages in exotic salt cedar and native ash riparian woodlands. Ant species exhibited remarkable resistance to human-induced disturbances in these rangeland areas. In grasslands dominated by the South African grass, Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees, large seed harvesting ants, Pogonomyrmex spp., were greatly reduced in abundance compared to native grasslands. Other ant metrics were not different in E. lehmanniana grasslands and native grasslands. We conclude that ants cannot be used as indicators of exposure to stress, ecosystem health or of rehabilitation success on rangeland ecosystems. Ants are also not useful indicators of faunal biodiversity in rangeland ecosystems.     

Concentration of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Al, and Fe in soils of Manresa, NE Spain

The aims of this study were to determine the contents of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), aluminium (Al), and iron (Fe) (aqua regia-extractable) in 27 soil plots (54 samples) from Manresa, NE Spain, and to establish relationships between heavy metals and some soil properties. The main soil types were surveyed and the median concentrations (mg kg(-1)) obtained were Cd 0.28, Cu 20.3, Pb 18.6, Zn 67.4, Al 22,572, and Fe 21,551. Element concentrations for these soils were lower than the published values for the Valencia region (Spain) and Torrelles and Sant Climent municipal districts (Catalonia, Spain). In terms of soil properties, the results of this study suggest that, in Manresa soils, both trace element adsorption and retention are influenced by several properties such as clay minerals, carbonates, organic matter, and pH. All element contents were positively correlated with clay content. Pb and Zn were negatively correlated with pH and CaCO(3).     

Ecohydrological impact–assessment modeling: an example for terrestrial ecosystems in Noord-Holland, the Netherlands

In the Netherlands the increasing demand for ecohydrological models on a regional (provincial) scale has resulted in the development of an empirical statistical impact–assessment model for semi-natural terrestrial herbaceous ecosystems. This model, called ITORS, describes the relationship between plant species and site factors such as soil, groundwater and management. The model, developed for the region of Noord-Holland, is applied to support provincial policy on soil and water management. The empirical statistical approach required the collection of a large set of field data, describing the biotic and environmental variation of a variety of semi-natural terrestrial ecosystems in Noord-Holland. These data were used to calculate species response models with help of logistic regression, resulting in significant models for 130 out of 144 species. Significant species response models were incorporated in the computer program ITORS. With help of ITORS the effect of various management scenarios can be easily evaluated, which is demonstrated by an example. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Response of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria to long-term industrial effluent-polluted soils,Gujarat, Western India

Soil nitrifiers have been showing an important role in assessing environmental pollution as sensitive biomarkers. In this study, the abundance and diversity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were investigated in long-term industrial waste effluent (IWE) polluted soils. Three different IWE polluted soils characterized as uncontaminated (R1), moderately contaminated (R2), and highly contaminated (R3) were collected in triplicate along Mahi River basin, Gujarat, Western India. Quantitative numbers of ammonia monooxygenase α-subunit (amoA) genes as well as 16S rRNA genes indicated apparent deleterious effect of IWE on abundance of soil AOA, AOB, bacteria, and archaeal populations. Relatively, AOB was more abundant than AOA in the highly contaminated soil R3, while predominance of AOA was noticed in uncontaminated (R1) and moderately contaminated (R2) soils. Soil potential nitrification rate (PNR) significantly (P?<?0.05) decreased in polluted soils R2 and R3. Reduced diversity accompanied by apparent community shifts of both AOB and AOA populations was detected in R2 and R3 soils. AOB were dominated with Nitrosospira-like sequences, whereas AOA were dominated by Thaumarchaeal “group 1.1b (Nitrososphaera clusters).” We suggest that the significant reduction in abundance and diversity AOA and AOB could serve as relevant bioindicators for soil quality monitoring of polluted sites. These results could be further useful for better understanding of AOB and AOA communities in polluted soils.     

Risk assessment and distribution of soil Pb in Guangdong, China

In this study, the spatial distributions of soil lead (Pb) concentration in three horizontal soils in Guangdong, China, were surveyed and analyzed using geostatistics and geography information systems (GIS). Findings indicated that the Pb geometric mean concentration of 23.3 mg/kg in surface soils was found to be higher than those in global soils, which ranged from 2.3–235 mg/kg. In addition, the Pb geometric mean concentrations from A- to C-horizon were found to be 23.3, 27.2, and 28.6 mg/kg, respectively. The classification of a soil Pb environmental risk in an area was likewise presented based on the different levels of environmental quality of Pb and was done by GIS technology. Accordingly, there is a higher local concentration of Pb in the surrounding areas of Guangzhou where there is higher population density and in the north of Guangdong, which is a historic mining area. The results obtained by the environmental risk assessment reveal that about 46% of total surveyed area was above the background value, that is, 2.7% of the total area was at risk of pollution.     

Occurrence, distribution, and source of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil and leaves from Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in soil and three plant species samples taken at different land use areas in Shenzhen China. The concentrations of ??₇BDEs (BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154, and BDE-183) and BDE-209 in the surface soils ranged from 0.23 to 271 and 8.9 to 5,956 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. These figures are comparable to that in the soils of electronic waste dismantling sites. BDE-209 was the predominant congener (contributes 85?C99% of ??₈PBDEs (??₇PBDEs plus BDE-209)) in soils. The regression slopes of total organic carbon and individual BDE congeners were rather gentle, indicating that factors other than soil organic matter regulated the soil concentrations. Proximity to sources of deposition processes might be the major factors. In the plant leaves, ??₇BDEs and BDE-209 concentrations ranged from 1.29 to 5.91 and 5.49 to 28.2 ng/g dw, respectively. BDE-209 is also the dominant component, but the contribution was much lower compared with that in soils. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. and Michelia alba DC. show some similarities on the uptake of PBDEs, while Ficus microcarpa var. pusillifolia is different from them. The correlations between plant leaf concentrations and predicted gaseous concentrations were moderate, indicating that gaseous concentration did not influence the leaf concentration significantly.     

Status and effect of pesticide residues in soils under different land uses of Andaman Islands, India

Pesticides are shown to have a great effect on soil organisms, but the effect varies with pesticide group and concentration, and is modified by soil organic carbon content and soil texture. In the humid tropical islands of Andaman, India, no systematic study was carried out on pesticide residues in soils of different land uses. The present study used the modified QuEChERS method for multiresidue extraction from soils and detection with a gas chromatograph. DDT and its various metabolites, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, aldrin, and fenvalerate, were detected from the study area. Among the different pesticide groups detected, endosulfan and DDT accounted for 41.7 % each followed by aldrin (16.7 %) and synthetic pyrethroid (8.3 %). A significantly higher concentration of pesticide residues was detected in rice–vegetable grown in the valley followed by rice–fallow and vegetable–fallow in the coastal plains. Soil microbial biomass carbon is negatively correlated with the total pesticide residues in soils, and it varied from 181.2 to 350.6 mg?kg^?1. Pesticide residues have adversely affected the soil microbial populations, more significantly the bacterial population. The Azotobacter population has decreased to the extent of 51.8 % while actinomycetes were the least affected though accounted for 32 % when compared to the soils with no residue.     

Types of Ectomycorrhiza as Pollution Stress Indicators: Case Studies in Slovenia

Mycorrhiza is the main spatial and temporal linkage between different constituents in a forest ecosystem. The functional compatibility and stress tolerance of ectomycorrhizal types is species specific, and therefore the information on the ectomycorrhizal community structure can add to the understanding of processes in forest ecosystems and can also be applied as tools for bioindication of pollution stress in forest soils. We have studied the effects of pollution (N and S) on trees and forest soils by: (1) quantification of ECM types diversity as in situ indicators in forest stands, (2) determination and quantification of pollution-sensitive or -insensitive ECM types as passive monitors, (3) root growth and development of ECM on nonmycorrhizal spruce seedlings, planted at the studied sites (active monitors), and (4) ECM infection (a bioassay based on mycorrhizal inoculum potential) of seedlings in an experimental set-up as ex situ testers. ECM species richness for Norway spruce trees (Picea abies) showed higher values in unpolluted sites than in polluted ones, while the differences were not significant for European beech trees (Fagus sylvatica). As pollution-sensitive or -insensitive ECM species in spruce forests, we suggest Hydnum rufescens (sensitive) and Paxillus involutus (unsensitive). Mycorrhizal potential in Norway spruce seedlings as a bioassay for soil N and S pollution was effective, and is suggested as an additional, standardized and widely comparable system in bioindication of soil pollution.     

Soilaluminum, Iron, and Phosphorus Dynamics in Response to Long-Term Experimental Nitrogen and Sulfur Additions at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) containing compounds affects soil chemistry in forested ecosystems through (1) acidification and the depletion of base cations, (2) metal mobilization, particularly aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe), (3) phosphorus (P) mobilization, and (4) N accumulation. The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) is a long-term paired whole-watershed experimental acidification study demonstrating evidence of each of these acidification characteristics in a northeastern U.S. forested ecosystem. In 2003, BBWM soils were studied using the Hedley fractionation procedure to better understand mechanisms of response in soil Al, Fe, and P chemistry. Soil P fractionation showed that recalcitrant P was the dominant fraction in these watersheds (49%), followed by Al and Fe associated P (24%), indicating that a majority of the soil P was biologically unavailable. Acidification induced mobilization of Al and Fe in these soils holds the potential for significant P mobilization. Forest type appears to exert important influences on metal and P dynamics. Soils supporting softwoods showed evidence of lower Al and Fe in the treated watershed, accompanied by lower soil P. Hardwood soils had higher P concentrations in surface soils as a result of increased biocycling in response to N additions in treatments. Accelerated P uptake and return in litterfall overshadowed acidification induced P mobilization and depletion mechanisms in hardwoods.     

N isotopes and N cycle in the TieShanPing subtropical forest ecosystem, Southwestern China

Nitrogen is essential for forest growth and forest stand development. It is commonly a limited factor for forest productivity. We examined delta (15)N values in soils and plants by studying the sources of N used by vegetation and cycles of N in a 43-year-old plantation of the TieShanPing forest ecosystem in southwestern China, dominated by massone pine (Pinus massoniana). The N concentration of plant materials ranges from 1.1% to 2.2%. The nitrogen concentration of P. massoniana was 1.3% while soils showed the concentration of 0.04-0.15%. Regarding natural abundance of (15)N, large significant variation (-6.0 per thousand to -3.8 per thousand) in delta (15)N values was observed among shrub and tree leaves. delta (15)N values were also significantly varied from -4.7 per thousand to -3.8 per thousand among the pioneer species in the plantation. Soil delta (15)N values (3.1-6.3 per thousand) were significantly enriched compared to those values in plant samples. Despite the negative delta (15)N values of the vegetation cover, the high delta (15)N values in the topsoil indicate that return of N to soils by litter-fall is minimal on TieShanPing and the present forests do not change very much the soil (15)N signals at the surface layer. The positive delta (15)N values may also indicate large N losses from the soil system vial leaching, volatilization and plant uptake.     

Effect of nitrogen, potassium and humic acid on 134 Cs transfer factors to wheat from tropical soils in Neubauer growth units

A Neubauer plantlet experiment was carried out using Inceptisol (Typic Haplustept) and Vertisol (Typic Chromustert) soils contaminated with 134Cs at 74 kBq kg(-1) soil to study the transfer factor to wheat crop (Triticum aestivum) as influenced by four levels of humic acid (100, 200, 300, 400 mg HA kg(-1) soil), potassium and NH4-N (36.4, 54.5, 72.7 and 90.9 mg K or NH4 kg(-1) soil) under tropical climate. The biomass yield and K uptake by wheat were significantly improved in Vertisol with NH4-N and K application. The potassium application significantly increased the potassium concentration in wheat plants. The increase in the levels of each of the treatments dramatically improved the yield, K content and K uptake parameters, irrespective of the soils. The 134Cs transfer factors, irrespective of the treatments were observed to be higher in Vertisols as compared to Inceptisols. Among the treatments, the effect of HA was significantly greater than that of K and NH4-N application in Inceptisol, however, in Vertisols both HA and NH4-N were observed to be superior as compared to K application. With each increment in the levels of the treatments, a significantly lowered TF value was found, higher in Inceptisols (56.3%) than Vertisols (48.5%). Comparison of treatments indicates that in general higher potassium concentration in plant drastically lowered radiocesium transfer to wheat. Neubauer plant culture study, a rapid laboratory experimental model based on simple soil-plant system was quite clearly brought out the potential effectiveness of N, K and HA on soil-to-wheat transfer of radiocesium. Such screening technique needs to be extended to cover wider crop species, different climatic conditions and factors governing/modifying the mobility of radiocesium in soil and its absorption by crop plants.     

Application of portable gas chromatography-photo ionization detector combined with headspace sampling for field analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in soils

A method based on headspace (HS) sampling coupling with portable gas chromatography (GC) with photo ionization detector (PID) was developed for rapid determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in soils. Optimal conditions for HS gas sampling procedure were determined, and the influence of soil organic matter on the recovery of BTEX from soil was investigated using five representative Chinese soils. The results showed that the HS-portable-GC-PID method could be effectively operated at ambient temperature, and the addition of 15 ml of saturated NaCl solution in a 40-ml sampling vial and 60 s of shaking time for sample solution were optimum for the HS gas sampling procedure. The recoveries of each BTEX in soils ranged from 87.2 to 105.1 %, with relative standard deviations varying from 5.3 to 7.8 %. Good linearity was obtained for all BTEX compounds, and the detection limits were in the 0.1 to 0.8 μg kg^?1 range. Soil organic matter was identified as one of the principal elements that affect the HS gas sampling of BTEX in soils. The HS-portable-GC-PID method was successfully applied for field determination of benzene and toluene in soils of a former chemical plant in Jilin City, northeast China. Considering its satisfactory repeatability and reproducibility and particular suitability to be operated in ambient environment, HS sampling coupling with portable GC-PID is, therefore, recommended to be a suitable screening tool for rapid on-site determination of BTEX in soils.     

The Chemistry of Soils, Rocks and Plant Bioindicators in Three Ecosystems of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland

In June of 2000, biogeochemical study was carried out in three ecosystems of the Holy Cross Mountains (south-central Poland). This paper presents element concentrations and stable sulfur (and in one site lead) isotope ratios in rocks, detailed soil profiles, and plant bioindicators including epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl., mosses (Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt., Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. S. Str., Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) B.S.G.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), common birch (Betula pendula Roth.), aspen (Populus tremula L.) and English oak (Quercus robur L.). Chemical analyses were performed with ICP-AES and AAS methods in the accredited laboratory (Central Chemical Laboratory of the Polish Geological Institute in Warsaw). The principal objective of this study was to compare the chemical composition of rocks, soils and selected plant bioindicators between investigation sites using the same methods of sample collection, preparation and analyses. The results of this study have shown that there is a high variability in concentrations of elements in plant bioindicators from the same sites that can not be explained only by soil properties or anthropogenic influence. This conclusion indicates that for biomonitoring purposes (especially with vascular plants) we cannot neglect individual features of the species examined.     

Phytoextraction and phytostabilization potential of plants grown in the vicinity of heavy metal-contaminated soils: a case study at an industrial town site

With the development of urbanization and industrialization, soils have become increasingly polluted by heavy metals. Phytoremediation, an emerging cost-effective, nonintrusive, and aesthetically pleasing technology that uses the remarkable ability of plants to concentrate elements, can be potentially used to remediate metal-contaminated sites. In this research, two processes of phytoremediation (phytoextraction and phytostabilization) were surveyed in some plant species around an industrial town in the Hamedan Province in the central-western part of Iran. To this purpose, shoots and roots of the seven plant species and the associated soil samples were collected and analyzed by measuring Pb, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn concentrations using ICP-AES and then calculating the biological absorption coefficient, bioconcentration factor, and translocation factor parameters for each element. The obtained results showed that among the collected plants, Salsola soda is the most effective species for phytoextraction and phytostabilization and Cirsium arvense has the potential for phytostabilization of the measured heavy metals.