In particular, serpentine soils are high in several heavy metals (e.g. nickel, cobalt and chromium) and these high heavy metal concentrations are thought, in part, to lead to varying levels of plant adaptation and soil affinities (i.e. endemic vs. non-endemic plant species).
Depending on their concentration pattern along the peat column, several groups of elements were distinguished according to their general physico-chemical properties, mobility in soils, affinity to organic matter and plant biomass.
It has long been understood that in natural soils Pb has a high affinity for soil organic matter [17], and this element typically resides near the ground surface, due to the concentration of organic matter in that zone [18].
Metal oxides, found ubiquitously in soils, have been examined extensively due to a high reactivity and sorption affinity for soil OC [10, 13 16], displaying a high potential to drive the chemistry governing soil C cycling.
d The soil organic carbon (OC) affinity coefficient (Koc) represents the soil distribution coefficient (Kd) normalised for soil organic carbon content.
This allows to estimate their affinity for soil components and potential toxicity according to their chemical characteristics.
Plant species were characterised according to their conservation value, life form and affinity to soil nutrient conditions.
At low to neutral pH, arsenite has less adsorption affinity on soil mineral surfaces than arsenate, and thus greater biological availability [10 12].
The fate of engineered zero-valent copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) in soils collected from geographically-distinct regions of the continental United States and incubated under controlled conditions was investigated with respect to NP affinity for soil surfaces and changes in speciation, as well as their impact on bacterial communities.
To evaluate the effect of soil treatment, serpentine habitat affinity and organ/reward type on plant Ni concentration, mixed-model ANCOVA was conducted (PROC MIXED).
