IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i7p1423-d1696371.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Eucalyptus -Biochar Application for Mitigating the Combined Effects of Metal Toxicity and Osmotic-Induced Drought in Casuarina glauca Seedlings

Author

Listed:
  • Oumaima Ayadi

    (Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia
    Laboratory of Forest Ecology (LR11INRGREF03), National Institute of Research in Rural Engineering, Water and Forests (INRGREF), Ariana 2080, Tunisia
    University of Orleans, Laboratory Physiology, Ecology and Environment (P2E), UR 1207—USC INRAE 1328, rue de Chartres, BP 6759, 45067 Orléans Cedex 2, France)

  • Khawla Tlili

    (Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia
    Faculty of Sciences of Tunisia, University of Tunis, Elmanar, LEBPAO, Tunis 1068, Tunisia)

  • Sylvain Bourgerie

    (University of Orleans, Laboratory Physiology, Ecology and Environment (P2E), UR 1207—USC INRAE 1328, rue de Chartres, BP 6759, 45067 Orléans Cedex 2, France)

  • Zoubeir Bejaoui

    (Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia
    Laboratory of Forest Ecology (LR11INRGREF03), National Institute of Research in Rural Engineering, Water and Forests (INRGREF), Ariana 2080, Tunisia)

Abstract

Land degradation from trace metal pollution in North Africa severely compromises soil fertility. This study investigates the synergistic remediation potential of Eucalyptus biochar (EuB) and Casuarina glauca in iron mine soil contaminated with Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, and As. Seedlings were grown for six months in: non-mining soil (NMS), contaminated soil (CS), and CS amended with 5% EuB (CS + EuB). Comprehensive ecophysiological assessments evaluated growth, water relations, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, oxidative stress, and metal accumulation. EuB significantly enhanced C. glauca tolerance to multi-trace metal stress. Compared to CS, CS + EuB increased total dry biomass by 14% and net photosynthetic rate by 22%, while improving predawn water potential (from −1.8 to −1.3 MPa) and water-use efficiency (18%). Oxidative damage was mitigated. EuB reduced soluble Fe by 71% but increased Zn, Mn, Pb, and Cd mobility. C. glauca exhibited hyperaccumulation of Fe, Zn, As, Pb, and Cd across treatments, with pronounced Fe accumulation under CS + EuB. EuB enhanced nodule development and amplified trace metals sequestration within nodules (Zn: +1.4×, Mn: +2.4×, Pb: +1.5×, Cd: +2.0×). The EuB- C. glauca synergy enhances stress resilience, optimizes rhizosphere trace metals bioavailability, and leverages nodule-mediated accumulation, establishing a sustainable platform for restoring contaminated lands.

Suggested Citation

  • Oumaima Ayadi & Khawla Tlili & Sylvain Bourgerie & Zoubeir Bejaoui, 2025. "Eucalyptus -Biochar Application for Mitigating the Combined Effects of Metal Toxicity and Osmotic-Induced Drought in Casuarina glauca Seedlings," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:1423-:d:1696371
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/7/1423/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/7/1423/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:1423-:d:1696371. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.