After the collection of 763 soil samples developed from 9 types of parent material/rock
i.e.dolomite
limestone
calcareous purple sandy shale
shale
sandstone
red clay
old mantlerock
fluvial sediment and sandy shale
from Wudang district of Guiyang city in Guizhou province
where the karstic feature is well developed
physical-chemical properties and heavy metal element contents of these soils were analyzed.Huge differences between each of the soils were found through comparing the soils developed from different types of parent material/rock.The differentiae in physical-chemical properties of these soils manifest that: soil textures developed from limestone
red clay
old mantle rock and shale are heavy;soil texture developed from sandstone is light;soil textures developed from the rest 4 types of parent material/rock are between them.The pH of the soils developed from limestone
calcareous purple sandy shale and dolomite is neutral or mild alkaline;the pH of the soils developed from fluvial sediment is neutral;the pH of the soils developed from other types of parent material/rock is acidic.The soils developed from calcareous purple sandy shale
dolomite and the fluvial sediment have more organic matter
however
organic matter content in the soil developed from sandstone is lower
and organic matter content in the soils developed from the rest 5 types of parent material/rock is between them. CEC in the soils developed from fluvial sediment
limestone
dolomite and calcareous purple sandy shale is higher;CEC in the soils developed from sandstone is lower;CEC in the soils developed from the rest 4 types of parent material/rock are between them.The differentiae in heavy metal elements contents of these soils manifest that: the contents of cadmium
chromium
hydrargyrum is higher in the soils developed from calcareous purple sandy shale
limestone and fluvial sediment;the contents of plumbum and arsenic is higher in the soils developed from red clay
fluvial sediment and limestone;the contents of the 5 types of heavy metal elements are the lowest in the soil developed from sandstone;the contents of the 5 types of heavy metals in the soils developed from the rest parent material/rock is between the above mentioned quantity. The results of correlation analyses indicate: cadmium
chromium
hydrargyrum
plumbum and arsenic contents are caused by the differentiae of soil-forming mother material/rock in the investigating area.The type of parent material/rock is the principal factor that affect the heavy metal contents in the soils
and the changes of physical-chemical properties of soil are the minor factors.