Changes in copper content and distribution in young, old and abandoned vineyard acid soils due to land use changes

We studied total Cu content and its distribution in 33 surface soil samples cultivated with vines for variable lengths of time in the Monterrei designation of origin (DO), located in Galicia (NW Spain). The study was focused on the influence of land use changes on soil degradation by effect of Cu accumulation and availability. Total copper concentration in soils ranged from 25 to 272mg kg(-1). The time during which each soil was cultivated with vines was found to affect both the total concentration of copper and its distribution. The average concentration of copper in young vineyards was 64 mg kg(-1), whereas those in old and abandoned vineyards were 100 and 132mgkg(-1), respectively. Copper bound to organic matter and to amorphous inorganic colloids were greater in old and abandoned vineyards, where they accounted for 51 and 52 per cent, respectively, of total copper, than in young vineyards (39 per cent). Copper bound to crystalline Al and Fe colloids accounted for 21, 22 and 12 per cent of total Cu in old, abandoned and young vineyards respectively. The prevalence of Cu bound to the organic fraction reduces the adverse environmental effects of this metal on soil organisms and plants. However, some management practices such as organic matter addition or liming should be implemented in order to delay or avoid soil degradation in young vineyards. For abandoned vineyards, the influence of new land uses on potential Cu mobilisation necessitates careful examination. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.