The Zirconium in the Components of the Western Transbaikalia Landscapes
The content of zirconium in parent rocks, soils and vegetation of the forest steppe, steppe, and flood plain meadow landscapes of the Transbaikalia region have been studied. The average regional content of Zr in the parent rocks was 1.75 times higher than its Clarke value in the sedimental rocks while its soil content was 1.13 higher than its average value for the world soils. Average zirconium content in vegetation was 1.79 mg kg-1 in cereals, 1.81 in meadow vegetation under regular moisture regime, 2.55 in swampy meadow vegetation, and 3.15 mg kg-1 in steppe vegetation (on dry matter basis). These figures correspond to 0.24-0.42 of its Clarke value for the world vegetation. Based on its rate of accumulation by vegetation Zr was classified as an element of very low uptake from mineral soil (KBU = 0.10-0.12).