Studies on Certain Essential Minerals Status and Heavy Metals Presence in Soil Plant Water and Animals at High Altitude Cold Arid Environment

Abstract

The present study was conducted in Leh-Ladakh a high altitude place where extreme newlineclimatic (subzero temperature, lower O2 pressure, low relative humidity, high wind velocity, newlinehigher UV exposure, cold aridity, permafrost) and topographical (3500 to 6500 m. amsl altitude) newlineconditions alters physical, chemical, and biological activities of soil and water and affects newlineproductivity of plants and animals. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the newlineobjectives to generate the reference data for level of essential minerals and heavy metals in soil, newlinewater of different sources, feed and fodders, and animals. This investigation finding will help in newlineminerals (Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn, Co, Cu, and B) health assessment of soil, water, feed, and animals newlineand required ameliorative measures. These data will also help in mineral nutrient management newlinefor the crop production and feeding balanced diet to the large and small ruminants through newlinesupplementation of required minerals. Further, heavy metal (As, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr) status at newlinehigh altitude would facilitate in development of any remedial measures to reduce their presence newlinein human and animal food chain. To analyze physico-chemical properties (clay, sand, silt, pH, EC, BD, TDS, CaCO3 and newlineSOM) in soil, total 114 composite agriculture soil samples [Site I: (10000-11000 Ft. amsl), 38 newlinesample; Site II (gt11000-12000 ft.amsl), 38 sample; and Site III (gt12000 ft. amsl), 38 samples] newlinewere collected. For analysis of soil carbon content and storage, total 25 composite agriculture newlinesoil samples were collected from each altitude gredints, viz: site-I (10,000- 11,000 ft. amsl), site- newlineII (gt11,001-12,000 ft. amsl) and site-III (gt12,000 ft. amsl). To analyze essential minerals in soil, newlinetotal 66 composite soil samples from pasture land (06 from each sampling site, total site: 11), newlinetotal 96 samples from road side soils (06 from each sampling site, total site: 16), and 66 samples newlinefrom Indus river sediment (06 from each sampling site, total site: 11) were collected.