Chemical composition of soils and plant species in the Polar Urals as influenced by rock type

The concentrations of chemical elements in tundra soils and plants of ultramafic and acid rocks were investigated in the Polar Urals. The close dependence of the soil concentrations of elements on the granulometric composition of the soils was shown and also the relationship of their chemical composition with that of the underlying bedrock including the predominance of magnesium over calcium and the relatively high concentrations of nickel. The mineral composition of the plants corresponded with the chemistry of the soils on which they grew. A specificity of element absorption by different plant species was detected. The conclusion is made that chemical features of soils on ultramafic rocks unfavourable for some plants species avoiding ultrabasic massifs in the Polar Urals. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.