Seasonal and spatial patterns of metals at a restored copper mine site II. Copper in riparian soils and Bromus carinatus shoots.
Soil and plants were sampled throughout winter and spring near a perennial stream traversing a restored mine site in a winter-rainy climate. Within 1m of an acidic reach of the stream, soil had pH 3-5 and 50-100 microg/g "bioavailable" copper (extractable with 0.01 M CaCl2). Soil 2-3 m from the stream had pH 5-8 and lower (less than 3 microg/g) bioavailable copper. "Oxide-bound" copper (extractable with 2N HCl) was 50-100 microg/g at most locations. Copper concentrations in the shoots of field-collected Bromus carinatus declined from 20 microg/g in winter to 2 microg/g in spring at all sampling sites. A similar temporal pattern was found in plants grown under controlled conditions. Thus B. carinatus has a developmental program for control of shoot copper concentration, causing a seasonally-varying pattern of copper phytoaccumulation over a large range of copper availability in the soil.
Silk
Wendy K
WK
Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. wksilk@ucdavis.edu
Bambic
Dustin G
DG
O'Dell
Ryan E
RE
Green
Peter G
PG
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D031724:Bromus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005618:Fresh Water; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008906:Mining; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D012621:Seasons; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D003300:Copper