Lithium in Soils and Plants of Western Transbaikalia

Abstract

The content of lithium in soil-forming rocks, soils, and plants of forest-steppe, steppe, and dry-steppe landscapes of Transbaikalia has been studied. The mean Li content is 1.1 times higher in soil-forming rocks than the natural abundance (clarke) of this element in the Earth crust and is 1.1–1.3 times higher in the studied soils as compared to the clarke of this element in soils of the world. The Li content in soils is closely related to its amount in soil-forming rocks, while its correlation with the soil humus and Li concentration in plants is absent. Spatial and vertical distribution patterns of Li in soils of the studied landscapes are described. According to the coefficients of the biological uptake of Li by steppe, meadow, and agrogenic cenoses from soils (1.2–2.4), this element is assigned to the group of moderate accumulation. The mean Li content in steppe and meadow plants and crops is 1.3–2.3 times higher than its average content in terrestrial vegetation. Lithium concentrations reach toxic values (5–15 mg/kg) in plants of eight test plots in meadow cenoses. The accumulation of Li per unit area in the meadow vegetation is 10.5 times higher than that in the dry-steppe vegetation.