Altitudinal Variation of Mineral Elements in Common Plant Species, and Soils of Erzincan Province-Ergan Mountain

This study was conducted with 30 common plant species growing at different altitudes (1500 m, 2000 m, 2500 m and 3000 m) of Mount Ergan in the province of Erzincan. The concentration of mineral elements was determined in the collected plants and the soils in which they grew at 1500 m of altitude (Alcea calvertii (Boiss) Boiss., Glaucium leiocarpum Boiss., Astragalus ornithopodioides Lam., Genista aucheri Boiss., Linum mucronatum Bertol, Anchusa leptophylla Roem. & Schult, Euphorbia virgata Waldst. & Kit.), at 2000 m (Tanacetum mucroniferum Hub. Mor. Et Grierson, Hypericum scabrum L. Inula oculus-christi L., Barbarea auriculata Hausskn. ex Bornm, Onobrychis cornuta L., Desv., Globularia trichosantha Fisch. & C.A.Mey, Genista aucheri Boiss., Euphorbia virgata Waldst. & Kit.), at 2500 m (Scutellaria orientalis L., Lallemantia canescens (L.) Fisch. & Mey., Coronilla orientalis Miller, Dianthus orientalis Adams., Crepis armena DC., Campanula tridentata Schreber, Euphorbia petrophila C.A. Meyer, Anthemis cretica L., Papaver fugax Poiret, Aster alpinus L.) and at 3000 m (Pedicularis comosa L., Astragalus nezaketiae A.Duran & Aytaç, Scorzonera sericea DC., Campanula tridentata Schreber, Anthemis cretica L., Papaver fugax Poiret, Hedysarum erythroleucum Boiss., Senecio hypoleucus Benth). Different parts of the collected plants (flowers, leaves and roots) and the soils in which they grew were pre-treated in the laboratory. The element concentrations of the prepared samples were analyzed by ICP-MS. The obtained metal data of plants and soils were statistically evaluated, and significant differences were found between the altitudes. It was determined that elevation significantly affected the mineral element distribution in both plants and soil. It was observed that the elements generally decreased in the soil as the elevation increased. In addition, it was noticed that plants with blue purple flower were dominant in the upper part of the mountain and plants with yellow flower were dominant in the lower part of the mountain.