The concentration and bioavailability of Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb in the sediments and leaves of grey mangrove, Avicennia marina, were studied throughout Sirik Azini creek (Iran) with a view to determine heavy metals bioavailability, and two methods were used. Results show that Zn and Ni had the highest concentrations in the sediments, while Cd and Cu were found to have the lowest concentrations in the sediments. Compared to the mean concentrations of heavy metals in sedimentary rock (shales), Zn and Cu showed lower concentration, possibly indicating that the origin of these heavy metals is natural. A geo-accumulation index (Igeo) was used to determine the degree of contamination in the sediments. Igeo values for Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni showed that there is no pollution from these metals in the study area. As heavy metal concentrations in leaves were higher than the bioavailable fraction of metals in sediments, it follows that bioconcentration factors (leaf/bioavailable sediment) for some metals were higher than 1.
The present study was an attempt to compare the correlation between physicochemical properties of soil and diversity and density of soil macrofauna in Juniper and amygdalus stands of Geno protected area during the growing and resting seasons. To this end, researchers field visited part of the forest at an altitude of 2200 m asl. and identified a half-hectare Juniper and a half-hectare Amygdalus stand. 10 points were randomly selected to place the sampling frame and measure the macrofauna and soil physicochemical properties. Soil samples were collected at 15 cm soil depth using a rectangular sampling frame (15 × 10. 10 cm) in growing and dormant seasons. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson diversity indices were used to evaluate the biodiversity of the identified macrofauna, and then Menhinick's and Margalef
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