The Ecology of Areas with Serpentinized Rocks: A World View

424 Pages·1992·16.306 MB·English

by  B. A. Roberts, J. Proctor (auth.), B. A. Roberts, J. Proctor (eds.)

The Ecology of Areas with Serpentinized Rocks
Geobotany 17
Series Editor
MJ.A. WERGER
The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume.
(b)
c) (d)
a. The late professor H. Wild next to the endemic Euphorbia lVildii on ultramafic soils on the Great Dyke. Zimbabwe. (Photograph
by J. Proctor.)
b. Armerio arenariellim fontiqueri association at Carrazeda (Bragan~a). Portugal. Note the contrasting aspects of the foreground
serpentinic habitat and the normal cultivated landscape on amphibolitic soil with large-leaved trees and rye field. (Photograph by
E. M. de Sequeira.)
c. Cerastium arcticwn spp. edmolldstonii. a British endemic on the Keen of Hamar and an adjacent site on Unst. Shetland.
(Photograph by J. Proctor.)
d. The Great Dyke near Mtoroshanga. Zimbabwe. (Photograph by J. Proctor.)
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IOI.K 9P38ro.Sc4to5rE, 2J6. I1I9I9.1 Series.
O58K19S3282.S24-d5cE2206 1991 90-44761
581.5'222-dc20 90-44761
ISBN 0-7923-0922-7
ISBN 978-94-010-5654-0
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© 1992 by Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published bAyl lK Rluigwhetrs ARceasdeervmeidc Publishers in 1992
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b) d)
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s n g a
Silene aeal/lishions of s. Bonne Bay. wester grassland on adjoinin Melrosideros l/mbel/al
cu ck k ,
olour) serpentinite (10-15 cm) cutting massive (yellow ochre colour serpentinized harzburgite with two small nds complex. Newfoundland. Canada. (Photograph by J. Malpas.) getated. serpentinized Table Mountain area and the adjacent mixed volcanic and metamorphased plutonic roseen in the foreground from Bonne Bay. (photograph by B. A. Roberts.) NOlhfaglls lIlenziesi d Mountain present a striking contrast with the subalpine forest and alpine tall tussocNorth West Otago. New Zealand. (Photograph by W. G. Lee.) Leplosperlllllln scoperilllllnita Bay ultramafics. Lake Ronald area. New Zealand. Dominant species include des. (Photograph by W. G. Lee.)
(a) a. Vertical cross-fibre (orange-brown cin the lower right crevices. Bay of Islab. The strong contrast in the poorly veNewfoundland. Humpback whales are c. The barren bluffs and screes on Reschist rock at Simonin Pass (1030 m). d. Dwarf shrubland at 300 m on the ANor/lOfaglls sOllalldri clifforrioand var.
Contents
SECTION I
INTRODUCTION
I. Introduction
by Bruce A. Roberts and John Proctor 1
SECTION II
GEOLOGY
II. Serpentine and the geology of serpentinized rocks
by John Malpas 7
SECTION III
NORTH AMERICA
III. Plant life of western North American ultramafics
by Art R. Kruckeberg 31
IV. Ecology of serpentinized areas, Newfoundland, Canada
by Bruce A. Roberts 75
V. A phyto-ecological investigation of the Mount Albert serpentinized plateau
by Luc Sirois and Miroslav M. Grandtner 115
SECTION IV
EUROPE
VI. Chemical and ecological studies on the vegetation of ultramafic sites in Britain
by John Proctor 135
VII. The ecology of serpentinized areas of north-east Portugal
by Eugenio Menezes de Sequeira and A. R. Pinto Da Silva 169
VIII. Distribution of serpentinized massives on the Balkan peninsulas and their ecology
by Budislav Tatic and V. Veljovic 199
IX. The distribution and ecology of the vegetation of ultramafic soils in Italy
by Ornella Vergnano Gambi 217
SECTION V
FAR EAST AND JAPAN
X. The vegetation over ultramafic rocks in the tropical Far East
by John Proctor 249
XI. The distribution and extent of serpentinized areas in Japan
by Naoharu Mizuno and Shiro Nosaka 271
SECTION VI
AFRICA
XII. The ecology of ultramafic areas in Zimbabwe
by John Proctor and Monica M. Cole 313
XIII. The vegetation over mafic and ultramafic rocks in the Transvaal Lowveld, South Africa
by Monica M. Cole 333
SECTION VII
AUSTRALASIA
XIV. The vegetation of the greenstone belts of Western Australia
by Monica M. Cole 343
XV. The serpentinized areas of New Zealand, their structure and ecology
by William G. Lee 375
SECTION VIII
XVI. Concluding remarks
by Bruce A. Roberts and John Proctor 419
Index 421
I
Introduction
B.A. ROBERTS&J.PROCTOR
The term 'serpentine' referring to rocks and min of each of the polymorphs. These conditions in
erals, can be traced back to the ancient Roman clude temperatures of generally less than 530°C,
era of Dioscorides (A.D. 50) (Faust & Fahey and fluid pH's in excess of 10 with low pC02•
1962) and they suggest that the speckled colour Serpentine protoliths are essentially ultramafic
of serpents and the fact that Dioscorides recom rocks which fall into a number of categories: (a)
mended it for the prevention of snakebite as two stratiform complexes, (b) concentrically zoned
of many origins of the name. It is well known complexes, (c) ophiolite complexes and, (d) high
that the use of serpentinized rocks by sculptors temperature peridotite complexes. The most
and carvers since ancient times is a tradition that commonly recognized are generally assigned
is still carried on today (Fig. 1). The differences to the ophiolite suite (Malpas, Ch. 2, this
in chemical composition of serpentinized rocks volume) and occur in most fold-mountain belts
are many and specimens come in a wide range of of the world. Serpentinized ultramafic rocks
attractive solid and mixed colours, e.g., red, «H4(MgFe hSi209, approximate composition)
green, blue and black. This combined with the have many distinctive chemical and physical fea
ability to work easily with serpentinized rocks are tures which create an unusual environment for
the major reasons for their long use for ornamen the plants which grow in the soils derived from
tal purposes. them.
The mineral name serpentine is applied to a Serpentinized ultramafic rocks outcrop in many
series of three polymorphic minerals: lizardite, parts of the world and very often they are associ
antigorite, and chrysotile, the latter well known ated with an unusual flora with rare, endemic and
in its asbestos form in some localities (Fig. 2). different races of plants. These low-cover, sparse,
All three polymorphs are produced by the hy botanically interesting areas have attracted world
dration of the ferromagnesian minerals of ultra attention from pedologists and ecologists exten
mafic rocks «MgFehSi04, approximate compos sively since the last century but starting with the
ition) of low temperature and pressure and earliest published record of a plant restricted to
paragenesis regimes favourable for the formation serpentine by Caesalpino in the late sixteenth
B. A. Roberts and J. Proctor (eds), The ecology of areas with serpentinized rocks. A world view, 1-5.
© 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
(a) (b)
Fig. 1. Attractive colours and the ability to work easily with serpentinized rocks are the major reasons for its long use for
ornamental purposes. On the Lizard peninsula, England's southernmost point, more than 20 stone works have existed, some
more than 50 years. (a) Serpentine stone works shop of R. H. Roberts (no relation to editor) has been a prominent shop at the
Lizard turning out thousands of ornaments and souvenirs. (b) R. H. Roberts in his workshop where he has worked using local
serpentine rock for more than 40 years.
century (1583) (Proctor & Woodell 1975; Werger, composition which may exert unusual influences
Wild & Drummond 1978; Vergnano-Gambi, on the soils and living organisms associated with
Chapter IX, this volume). By the mid-1800s sev them. Many have low calcium (Ca), potassium
eral accounts (e.g., PanCic 1859, Tatic & Veljovic, (K), phosphorus (P) and molybdenum (Mo) con
Chapter VIII, this volume) and Caruel at the 1867 centrations, for example, and also relatively high
International Botanical Congress had conducted chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) con
both botanical and zoological studies including centrations.
the effects of man on the habitats of the old world Most current research on the ecology of serpen
serpentinized areas. Comprehensive reviews of tinized areas has focused on the major stress fac
the ecology of serpentinized areas since Proctor tors (Roberts 1986a, 1986b) including (1) low
& Woodell (1975), include Kinzel (1982), and essential macro-nutrients, (2) absence of some
Brooks (1983, 1987). micro-nutrients, (3) physical factors, cryoturb
Proctor & Woodell (1975) indicated that the ation (Roberts 1980a), drought (Carter, Proctor
only generalizations that can be made with confi & Slingsby 1987), but especially (4) the form,
dence concerning the chemical composition of type and extent of toxic concentrations of Co, Cr,
serpentine rocks are that iron (Fe) and magnes Mg, Ni and other elements. The role of plants
ium (Mg) are always relatively high and silicon as accumulators, indicators and excluders (Baker
(Si) relatively low. Nevertheless, serpentines very 1981, Roberts 1980b, 1981) is now well rese
commonly have other features of their chemical arched.
2