Biogeochemical Studies on some Copper Rich Areas from Malanjkhand Granitoid, Madhya Pradesh

In the Pathratola, Dhorh and Pipardhar areas of the Malanjkhand granitoid, deciduous taxa of eighteen species show wide variations in their spatial distribution patterns. The T alata and O oojeinensis are the most abundant and moderately abundant species respectively. They occur in all the three areas whereas, S robusta predominates in the Pathratola area only. The assemblage of S robusta, T alata and O oojeinensis in Pathratola, T alata, O oojeinensis, S cumim and F glomeratain Dhorh area and T alata and O oojeinensis in Pipardhar area predominate where, Cu anomalies are present. The important factors such as hthology, slope, drainage and soil type, which possibly have influence over the distribution patterns of the plant species, have been discussed.

The Cu and Mo data plots for leaves, twigs and bark of eighteen plant species show that the accumulation of metals in some plant organs in the pre monsoon period is much higher as compared to their post-monsoon counterparts, however, reverse is the case for some organs of the species. The increase in the metal (Cu/Mo) contents of the plant organs with the corresponding increase in their substrate soil metal (Cu/Mo) concentrations having high correlation coefficient (r) values were observed in organs of some species. The toxic threshold values obtained from the polynomial curves for these plant organs have been discussed. The plant metal (Cu and Mo) versus soil metal (Cu and Mo) relationship as revealed from 't' test results show that the calculated 't' values are less than that of the tabulated probability values (Brooks, 1983) for all the organs of rarely occurring C tomentosa, D melanoxylon, A latifoha, C graveolens, F glomerata L parvifoha, M parvifoha, P marsupium, and S oleosa for both the seasons, indicating significant relationship between their mean values Studies on linear regression and polynomial curves for some organs of abundantly growing species viz T alata, O oojeinensis and 5 robusta draws support from the 't' test results, indicating significant relationship, hence are reliable media Organs of some species show significant difference between their mean elemental (Cu and Mo) values and the corresponding mean soil elemental (Cu and Mo) values, possibly attributed to (a) differential behaviour of some species towards their substrate parameters and (b) toxicity of metals. The best media to be sampled for biogeochemical exploration in the Malanjkhand copper province are suggested.