Characterization of Serpentine Soils from Eastern and Southern Rhodope Mountains (Bulgaria)

This work aims to characterize serpentine soils in Bulgaria and examine the biogeochemistry of pedogenic Ni its relation available forms. Soils were collected from Eastern Southern Rhodopes (Bulgaria). The chemical composition is similar Balkan Peninsula characterized by high contents (919.9–2397.2 mg.kg–1). had a neutral slightly alkaline reaction (pH 6.4 7.6) medium organic matter content. Of primary minerals, those group (antigorite lizardite), talc (willemseite), amphibole (riebeckite), feldspar (albite) quartz are mainly present soil samples. secondary minerals samples include calcite dolomite, also representatives clay clinochlore montmorillonite. free iron oxides (Fed), amorphous (Feo), well-crystallized (Fecr) (Fed-Feo) activity index (Feo/Fed) showed significant differences (p<0.05) among different locations. In Dobromirtsi, Parvenets, Golyamo Kamenyane bound Fe evenly distributed between phases. Kardzhali, Chernichevo Dyulitsa more than half or occluded oxides, while Kazak oxides. Pedogenesis, weathering intensity, geochemistry influence availability soils.