The vegetation of heavy metal and other toxic soils

Abstract

The biogeographical investigation of heavy metal and other toxic soils is almost entirely confined everywhere to botanical work. Only recently a first attempt was made in southern Africa to include the animal component into this type of study (Wild 1975). However, even in the botanical field, the distribution of published botanical papers is correlated mainly with the presence of botanists with an interest in this type of investigation. This is particularly true of southern Africa where reasonably detailed studies are available only for Shaba (Katanga) (Duvigneaud 1958, Duvigneaud & Denaeyer de Smet 1960, 1963) and Rhodesia (Wild 1965, 1968, 1970, etc.).