Accumulation of heavy metals by plants of south Dagestan under the conditions of natural geochemical anomaly

A comparative study of the concentrations of chemical elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ca, Mg, K) in plants and soils of southern Dagestan has been conducted in two districts distinguished by different levels of heavy metals in rock formations. It is established that plants and soils in the area of a natural geochemical anomaly (the southern schistic region of Inner-Dagestan mountain province) are characterized by a higher content of most of the studied elements except for Ca and Cr, as compared to those in the reference area (northern limestone region of Inner-Dagestan mountain province). The high content of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Co in plants and soils—the most important components of any ecosystem—allow us to consider the southern schistic region of Dagestan as a biogeochemical province with a high concentration of the abovementioned heavy metals.