Profile variability of lithium content in soils of selected forest ecosystems

The distribution of total lithium content with depth was studied in soils of selected forest ecosystems, with regard to their physicochemical properties and possible anthropogenic impact. The six soil profiles, representing forest soils, were selected for the study: Udipsamments formed from sandr sand, eolian sand and alluvial sand, and Haplorthods Humic formed from eolian sand, Dystrochrepts formed from alluvial silt and Eutrochrepts formed from boulder loam. The total Li content was determined after previously dissolving the samples in a mixture of concentrated acids: hydrofluoric and nitric (HF+HNO3). The content of Li in solutions was determined using the FAS method on PU-9100 X Philips spectrometer. The total lithium content in studied soils under investigations occurs in range of 1.63 to 229.68 mg kg-1 and was considerably lower in organic horizons (1.63-8.07 mg kg-1 ) than in mineral (17.58-229.68 mg kg-1). The concentration of lithium in subhorizons of forest litter increases according to the litter decomposition degree (01<0f<0fh). The Li concentrations found in all forest soils formed from sand were much higher than its natural content in surface mineral horizons of arable soils 1.30-56.00 mg kg-1. The total lithium content in studied soils was negative statistically correlated with the content of organic carbon (-0.6062), silt and clay fraction (-0.7131 and -0.6322), hydrolytic acidity (-0.5222), sum of exchangeable bases (-0.6196) and cation exchange capacity (-0.6277).