JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

In order to assess the status of the iron (Fe) chlorosis of plane trees in green space of Isfahan city, the chlorosis intensity of 73 trees in different regions was recorded as (1): low (less than 5% of leaves), (2): moderate (less than 50% of leaves), (3): severe (more than 50% of leaves), and (4): very severe (more than 95% of leaves). The whole leaf (with petiole) samples were taken from the top and bottom of each tree, separately, during 2008 and 2009. Then selected chemical properties of the leaves were analyzed.  The results showed that in more than 95 and 71% of the young leaves, Fe concentration was less than the critical deficiency level (202 mg/kg). Concentration of Fe in the older leaves of all plane trees even those with slight symptoms of chlorosis was less than the critical level (382 mg/kg). No significant relationship was found between the leaf zinc concentrations and intensity of iron chlorosis. In more than 92 (in the first year) and 87% (in the second year) of the plane trees, Zn concentration of young leaves and in all trees, Zn concentration of old leaves were less than the critical deficiency concentration (23 mg/Kg). The comparison between concentrations of Cu in the leaves with its critical deficiency level showed that more than 90% of young and old leaves accumulated toxic levels of Cu in both sampling years. In regard with the sufficient range of P, about 79% of the trees in the first year and 53% in the second year accumulated excess levels of this nutrient in their young leaves. This condition was slightly modified for the older leaves so that excessive concentration of phosphorus in mature leaves was not observed in the first year and in the second year, only about 29% of the samples had concentrations higher than critical levels.