The relationship between heavy metal concentration and soil mycoflora in the Gizan region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Soil samples were collected from different places from the Gizan region, Saudi Arabia, and analyzed mechanically and chemically for mineral content. The soils were highly alkaline and sandy in texture in all cases. The concentration of Zn, Pb and Cu were within the ranges reported earlier for some Saudi Arabian soils, while Fe, Co and Al occurred in high concentrations. There was a high content of total soluble salts in the samples tested. There was a marked decrease in bacterial counts, as well as a significant decline in numbers of actinomycetes, nitrifying bacteria and fungi. The high contents of some heavy metals and total soluble salts in the Gizan soils may have caused the impact on the population and frequency of the soil microflora. Aspergilli was predominant and represented by eleven species followed by Alternaria, Cirvularia, Fusarium, Penicillium and others have dominated the soils investigated. However member of mueorales were least represented from the view point of dominance. The genera of Curvularia and Fusarium were considered as sensitive to heavy metal toxicity in the Gizan soils.