• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.327-331
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• 2008

Serpentine soils are distributed in a small area in Korea, and generally exhibit high contents of Ni, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co and Mg. We investigated the growth of woody plants and herbs in the Andong serpentine area, Korea. Pinus densiflora and P. rigida growing on serpentine soils have high contents of Fe, Mg, Ni and Co, with contents approximately twice as high as those of non-serpentine plants. Tree species on serpentine soil also had lower ratios of tree height/DBH than trees in a control area. In greenhouse culture experiments on two bodenvag herb species, Setaria viridis and Cymbopogon tortilis, the biomass of the plants was significantly affected by soil type but not by seed origins. After 66 days, the growth of S. viridis and C. tortilis seedlings was significantly inhibited in serpentine soil, and the dry weight of each species showed significant negative correlations with soil heavy metal contents (Ni, Co and Cr). These results suggest that the growth of plants was inhibited by properties of the serpentine soil, and in particular, their high heavy metal concentration, which induced dwarfing in woody plants and reduction of total plant biomass in herbs.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.408-415
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• 2006

Serpentines soil have high values of magnesium and low values of calcium, and are usually deficient in N and P, but rich in iron, Ni, silicates. We investigated serpentine soil properties and measured the content of nutrient elements and heavy metals in shoots and root of plant species which were in common at serpentine and non-serpentine areas in Andong, Korea. The soils showed higher pH value above 6.9. The contents of Ni, Cr, Fe and Mg of serpentine soils exhibited 77, 27, 5.5 and 12.5 times more than in non-serpentine soils, respectively. The content of Na was almost same but K was two times higher in non-serpentine soil, compared with serpentine soil. The contents of nutrient element such as K, Ca, Na and P in serpentine plants did not show conspicuous differences with non-serpentine plants. On the other hand, the concentrations of Ni, Cr, Fe, Mg and Mg/Ca were very high in plant on serpentine area. The all plant species collected at the serpentine site were bodenvag plants, which are not restricted to a specific type of substrate. By the plant species and parts of plant tissues, the absorption levels and patterns showed high variation and were species-specific. Carex lanceolata, Lysimachia clethroides and Cynanchum paniculatum contained much chromium and Eupatorium chinense and C. paniculatum exhibited high contents of Ni. In leaf tissue, C. lanceolata, Rubus parvifolius, Festuca ovina, Quercus serrata, and L. clethroides took comparatively large amount of Cr in serpentine area. E. chinense contained large amount of Ni, Cr and Fe in a leaf tissue. The stem of Galium verum, Juniperus rigida included high amount of Cr, Ni and Fe. And C. paniculatum absorbed large amount of Ni and Cr in the stem.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 1998

This study is investigated for the trace element concentration in the soils derived from different parent rocks, which are serpentinites, metamorphic rocks and black shales, and the absorption of the trace element by Pinus rigida in Hongseong and Keumsan, Chungnam, respectively. The concentrations of nickel, chrominium and cobalt are high in the serpentinites, whereas the concentrations of zinc, molybdenium and iron are high in the metamorphic rocks. These elements in black shale are lower than those in serpentinites and metamorphic rocks. The serpentine soils show high nickel, chrominium and cobalt content, while zinc and iron content are high in the mixed soils(serpentinites + metamorphic rocks) and black shales. Comparing with parent rocks, all of trace elements in their weathered soils are low. The pH of serpentine soil is high, 7.73~9.55 and that of black shale soil in 5.61. In serpentine area, the absorptions of chrominium by P. rigida is lower than its in the soils. The absorption of zinc by P. rigida is high relative to zinc concentration in soils. The Co/Ni and Fe/Ni quotient in P. rigida over serpentine soils are considerably lower than those growing over other soils tpes.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.385-391
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• 1997

To investigate the degrees of toxification in the serpentine areas, serpentinites and adjacent metamorphic rocks and soils from the serpentinite, metamorphic area and transitional area(mixed soil) between serpentinite and metamorphic rocks are collected from the Hongseong-Gun, Chungnam. A plant, Geochemically, the serpentinites are high in the nickel, chromium and cobalt content whereas the metamorphic rocks show high zinc, scandium, molybdenum and iron contents. The serpentine soils are high in the nickel, chromium and cobalt contents whereas the non-serpentine soils show high zinc and iron contents. Heavy metal contents in the G. oldhamiana are high in the serpentine soil relative to the mixed soil. Ratio of the iron to nickel contents for the G. oldhamiana are low in the serpentine soil(49) relative to the mixed soil(216). Of the G. oldhamiana, most of the heavy metal contents except zinc and molybdenum are high in the root relative to the aboveground vegetation. Comparing with rocks, the G. oldhamiana is low in the all of heavy metal contents relative to the serpentinite. Uptake of zinc by the G. oldhamiana is high in the serpentinites and metamorphic rocks whereas uptake of scandium and iron by the G. oldhamiana is very high in the serpentinite area.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.621-632
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• 2009

Rare earth contents(REE) were analysed for the plants, M. sinensis. A. vulgaris and R. crataegitolius, from two different soils serpentine area consisting of serpentinite(SP) and non-serpentine area, containing amphibole schist(AS) of Gapyeong area, and were compared with soils and host rocks. The AS were high with the differences of several times in the top soils, and with the differences of several to ten times in the host rocks relative to the SP. In the same area, the SP were high in the soil, but the rocks for the AS. In the plants, the A. vulgaris were high, but low in the R. crataegitolius. Root parts were higher than the upper parts. Differences between the upper and root parts were big in the SP rather than the AS, and were big in the R. crataegitolius, but small in the M. sinensis. Among the parts of the plants, high elements were shown in the R. crataegitolius of the SP, and the A. vulgaris and M. sinensis of the AS. In the correlation coefficients, most of the REE showed positive relationships among the element pairs, especially high positive correlation coefficients in the upper parts of the SP.Differences of the soils and plants(average) were smalle in the M. sinensis and big in the R. crataegitolius. In the upper parts. contents of the A. vulgaris were close to the soils while the R. crataegitolius showed large discrepancies with the soils. In the root parts, contents of the A. vulgaris showed discrepancies with the soils regardless of soil types, but close in the R. crataegitolius of the SP and M. sinensis of the AS.

• 한국생태학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.87.1-87.1
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• 1998

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.113-125
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• 1999

Heavy metal elements were analysed to assess degrees of heavy metal contents for the plants, M. sinensis, A. vulgaris and G. oldhamiana, from the Baekdong serpentine area within the western part of Chungnam. The area was divided into two sites ; serpentine area (SP, consisting of serpentinite, SP) and non-serpentine area (NSP, containing amphibole schist, AS and gneiss, GN). Their host rocks(R) and top soils(S) were also collected from the each site. As the results of the study, the plants contain high concentration of Ni Cr, Co in the SP and Fe, Zn in the AS and GN. Plants from the AS of the NSP contain mainly high content in the most of elements. Averages of Ni, Co and Cr for the plants decreased in the order of SP, AS and GN. In the total element contents, M. sinensis and A. vulgaris decreased in the order of Fe > Ni or Cr > Zn > Co > As > Sc within the SP and in the order of Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni, within the GN. Comparing among the parts of plants, root parts were higher in the most of elements than the above grounds. In the relative element ratios of plants collected from the SP and GN (SP/GN) M. sinensis was lower than A. vulgaris in the most of elements, suggesting that the M. sinenis shows low absorption within the infertile serpentine soil and high absorption within the fertile gneiss soil. In the element contents of the top soils and their host rocks, the SP shows higher Ni, Co and Cr contents than the others. Their total contents decreased from SP to AS and GN, suggesting that the soils reflect the composition of their host rocks. Total element contents of the SP decreased in the order of Fe> Cr or Ni> Co> Zn> As> Sc and, for the GN, in the order of Fe> Zn> Cr> Ni> Co or Sc, respectively. In the relative element ratios, R/S of the SP decreased in the order of Cr> As> Fe> Sc> Co> Ni> Zn and for the GN, in the order of Sc> Fe> Ni> Zn> Cr> Co. Comparing with plants within the each site, their top soils were higher than the plants in the most of elements. and their increase and decrease trends for each element are similar. Differences of element contents between the top soils and plants decreased in the order of SP, AS and GN. Plants of the GN were moi-e similar to their soils than those of the others, suggesting that each plant species show different absorptions within the different soils. Comparing with the plants of GN, higher Ni, Co, Cr contents within those of the SP and their survival within the infertile serpentine soil suggest that the M. sinensis, A vulgaris and G. oldhamiana may be the tolerance species in the serpentine soil. Comparisons with the upper crust show that M. sinensis, and A. vulgaris within the SP show high Hi and Cr contents. suggestive of hyperaccumulation. Upper results with the previous studies for the contaminated soils developed as parent materials with the serpentinites suggest additional studies for ecological behaviors for the plant and degrees of accumulations for the elements need to know phytoextraction of the heavy metal elements within the soils.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.158.1-158
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• 2001

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1999.10b
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• pp.149.2-149
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• 1999

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.296-303
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• 2010

Chromium as a constituent of rocks occurs naturally in the environment in varying concentrations. However, the human activity has changed the geochemical cycle of chromium in the environment and has caused the chromium accumulation in soils. Korean soils revealed a wide range of chromium contents depending on parent material and land use. The total chromium contents of volcanic ash soils in Jeju, which were determined using $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF, ranged from 434 to 1,164 mg $kg^{-1}$. The 'ecological' total chromium contents extracted using conc. HCl + conc. $HNO_3$ (aqua regia) in the same soils varied in a lower range of 50-189 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of aqua regia contents in $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF contents: 14.9%). Serpentine soils in Andong showed a 'ecological' total chromium content of 309 mg $kg^{-1}$ and against it granitic soils in Andong only 20 mg $kg^{-1}$. In uncontaminated forest soils of Korea, the 'ecological' total chromium contents varied from 4.89 to 106 mg $kg^{-1}$ and the soluble chromium contents determined using 0.1 M HCl ranged from 0.01 to 0.64 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of 0.1 M HCl contents in aqua regia contents: 0.4%). Arable lands contained more soluble chromium than reported in forest soils (averaged soluble chromium: 0.36 and 0.09 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively). In particular, the soluble chromium contents in greenhouse, orchard and upland soils were higher than in contaminated soils near mine and industrial site (maximum contents: greenhouse 15.3 mg $kg^{-1}$; upland 12.1 mg $kg^{-1}$; orchard 8.29 mg $kg^{-1}$; mine site 4.76 mg $kg^{-1}$; industrial site 2.80 mg $kg^{-1}$). On the basis of these results a accumulation of chromium in some specific arable lands can be assumed, probably by long-continued applications of fertilizers or soil amendments containing chromium. In Korean Enforcement Decree of the Soil Environment Conservation Act soil standards for total chromium do not exist yet.