Biomass, Root Penetration and Heavy Metal Uptake in Birch in a Soil Cover Over Copper Tailings

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Abstract
(1) Soil coverings may be used to prevent pyrite oxidation and heavy metal leaching from copper tailings. In this study a 10-year-old soil deposit on copper tailings was used to study the effect of variations in soil thickness on vegetation establishment and on heavy metal contamination of the soil and of Betula leaves. (2) Contamination of the covering soil indicated that upward transport of metals from the spoil had occurred. (3) Even with a 1 m thick soil layer, fine roots of birch trees mostly less than 4 years old had penetrated into the spoil. (4) Leaf contents in Betula of Zn, Pb and Cd were higher than, and of Cu similar to, published values for uncontaminated soils. (5) There was a correlation between soil and leaf concentrations for Pb and Cd, but not for Cu and Zn. Leaf content of Cu was related to above- and below-ground biomass. Leaf content of Zn depended mainly on soil pH. The thickness of the covering affected the leaf concentration of Zn and Cd.