Distribution, migration and accumulation of rare earth elements (REE)in the rock-soil-Dicranopteris dichotoma (R-S-D) system

The contents of 15rare earth elements(REE)in samples taken from the rock-soil-Dicra-nopteris dichotoma system(R-S-D)in one non-REE mining area and four REE mining areas in south-ern Jiangxi were determined by the ICP-MS method and their distribution,migration and accumulation were studied.Results show that the sequence of the layers in the system,in the order of decreasing REE contents,is as follows :layer C(subsoil)>layer A(topsoil)>layer B(bottom soil)>layer D(moth-er rock).The contents of REEs in the different parts of Dicranopteris dichotoma are leaf>root >stem>petiole for light REEs ,and root >leaf>stem>petiole for heavy REEs.The REE evolution and mi-gration in the R-S-D system depend on the weights of the REEs.The REE distribution patterns in vari-ous links of the R-S-D system are similar to each other,indicating a vectorial(inhomogeneous )relation of elements in the rock-soil-plant system.It can be concluded that there must be a stereo-correlation be-tween the plants with the environment.