Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9447888 | Journal of Arid Environments | 2005 | 20 Pages |
Abstract
The Mercur Gold Mine tailings pond experienced a dam failure more than 70 years ago, creating a denuded area that was the subject of this study. Arsenic levels in the surface soils ranged from 45 to 3237 mg As kgâ1. Vascular plants, mosses, algae, and lichens all showed a threshold effect to elevated arsenic. Over 2100 mg As kgâ1, chlorophyll a was consistently depressed. Over 1700 mg As kgâ1, grasses, annuals and mosses were absent, and over 1400 mg As kgâ1, cyanobacteria were notably affected. We conclude that the microbiotic crusts will not recover so long as the soil remains contaminated.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Authors
M.L. Nagy, J.R. Johansen, L.L. St. Clair, B.L. Webb,