Rare earth elements and landscape: Is there a relationship between them? – New evidence from Poland (Eastern Europe)

The rapid development leads to changes in the environment, including increasing pollution and changes in the landscape. The aim of the research was to analyse the content of rare earth elements (REEs) and yttrium (Y) in soil and Taraxacum officinale in various representative cities for Europe (in term of size and population), as well as to evaluate their content in relation to the specific economic and spatial conditions (land use) and landscape pattern. The research was conducted in three cities from Poland: Poznań (big city), Ostrów Wielkopolski (medium city) and Słupca (small city). Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation were performed to identify the relationship between REE and Y content and land use, as well as landscape pattern. The investigation revealed that the average content of REEs and Y in soil was the highest in Poznań, while in dandelion roots and leaves in Ostrów Wielkopolski. In Słupca, the content of the analysed elements in the soil was at an average level and mostly at the lowest in the roots and leaves of dandelion. The REE and Y content were more associated with the specific economic and spatial conditions of cites and land use than its size or population. The relationship between landscape metrics and analysed elements were more pronounced for dandelion leaves than for roots or soil. However, two landscape metrics – largest patch index and Shannon’s diversity index implied that landscape diversity might contribute to reduction of REE and Y content in the environment. The new approach for REE and Y accumulation in the environment in relation to land use and landscape pattern, as well as in different sizes of cities, give the possibility to broader applications in urban areas.