the typical mangrove wetland soils from the Nanhaidi of Zhanjiang Bay were investigated to discuss the special habitat characteristics of mangrove wetland soil.The minerals in the soils were identified by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) and X ray diffraction(XRD)
and the morphological characteristics of soil particles were observed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) to obtain the chemical components.The soil samples from nearby mudflats were also collected for comparative study.Results showed that the mineral components in mangrove wetlands soils were mainly composed of kaolinite
quartz
muscovite
halloysite
diamond and serpentine
more diverse than those in mudflats soils which simply contained quartz and kaolinite.The morphologies of soil particles in mangrove wetland emerged in schistose aggregates
and the main elements were C
O
S
Al
Si
Mg and Fe
etc.Heavy metal elements such as Cu
Zn
Mo were commonly found in the soil particles of mangrove wetland.The mangrove wetland soil was also abundant in sulfide.However
the above characteristics were not found in the mudflats soil
which indicated that the mangrove wetland was in a special ecological environment
and its soil sediment was rich in organic matter
Fe and S
etc.Thus
it was more favorable for the enrichment of sulfides or heavy metals than mudflats.