# Metal Mobility in Afforested Sites of an Abandoned Zn-Pb Ore Mining Area
## 3 Results
### Buffer Capacity  
Buffer capacity curves are presented in Figures 2 and 3. The base black lines represent pH measurements for the blank samples. Soils in the Lgota I profile (Figure 2a) generally have a very weak buffer capacity relative to alkalizing agents and a good buffer capacity related to high calcium carbonate content. The exception is the stratum at a depth 138-144 cm, where a drop of buffer capacity to 2.5% is in parallel to a significant decrease in CaCO\({}_{3}\) concentration. Generally, in the Lgota II core (Figure 2b), buffer properties follow the values observed for the Lgota I profile, whereas in the Lgota III profile, the buffer capacity in the upper sandy loam stratum is lower than in the strata enriched in crushed carbonate rocks beneath (Figure 2c). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Characteristic** & **Unit** & \begin{tabular}{c} **Paryz I** \\ **(n = 27)** \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} **Paryz II** \\ **(n = 13)** \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} **Paryz III** \\ **(n = 13)** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline \begin{tabular}{c} **bulk density** \\ min-max \\ _median_ \\ (25 th; 75 th percentile) \\ \end{tabular} & [g-cm\({}^{-3}\)] & 0.55–1.52 & 0.52–1.75 & 0.61–2.06 \\  & & 1.14 & 1.37 & 1.58 \\  & & (1.00; 1.24) & (1.26; 1.54) & (1.23; 1.86) \\ \hline \begin{tabular}{c} **water content** \\ min-max \\ _median_ \\ (25 th; 75 th percentile) \\ \end{tabular} & [\%] & 1.1–53.2 & 0.1–55.9 & 0.1–12.9 \\  & & 18.9 & 1.1 & 0.8 \\ \hline \begin{tabular}{c} **LOI** \\ min-max \\ _median_ \\ (25 th; 75 th percentile) \\ \end{tabular} & [\%] & 0.00–43.30 & 0.24–58.00 & 0.23–93.30 \\  & & 1.52 & 0.98 & 1.40 \\  & & (0.36; 2.87) & (0.68; 2.25) & (0.56; 3.13) \\ \hline \begin{tabular}{c} **carbonates** \\ min-max \\ _median_ \\ (25 th; 75 th percentile) \\ \end{tabular} & [\%] & 0.13–96.50 & 0.62–87.70 & 0.23–87.70 \\  & & 55.70 & 7.39 & 2.27 \\  & & (0.94; 85.20) & (1.86; 58.90) & (1.09; 12.30) \\ \hline \
\begin{tabular}{c} **pH\({}_{\rm 2O}\)** \\ min-max \\ _median_ \\ (25 th; 75 th percentile) \\ \end{tabular} & [-] & 7.21–8.96 & 5.61–8.30 & 4.40–8.16 \\  & & 7.95 & 7.98 & 7.44 \\  & & (7.67; 8.59) & (7.82; 8.06) & (7.25; 7.80) \\ \hline
\begin{tabular}{c} **pH\({}_{\rm KCl}\)** \\ min-max \\ _median_ \\ (25 th; 75 th percentile) \\ \end{tabular} & [-] & 6.01–8.72 & 5.00–7.35 & 3.32–7.08 \\  & & 6.89 & 7.01 & 6.65 \\  & & (6.60; 7.85) & (6.54; 7.07) & (5.65; 6.89) \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: The soil characteristics in profiles from the Paryz location. Figure 2: Buffer capacity of soil in the Lgota profiles (**a**) Lgota I, soil: 1 (37–52 cm)—loam with carbonate debris, 2 (130–138 cm) and 3 (138–144 cm)—silty loans, 4 (154–190 cm)—weathered limestone rock debris; (**b**) Lgota II, soil: 1 (7–17 cm) and 2 (17–37 cm)—soil with carbonate debris, 3 (62–72 cm)—dark brown silts; (**c**) Lgota III, soil: 1 (27–37 cm)—sandy loam, 2 (37–40 cm)—fragments of crushed carbonates rock. The soils in the Paryz I profile (Figure 3a) have a very good buffer capacity for acidifying agents in strata enriched with carbonate rocks whilst a good buffer capacity in relation to alkalizing agents only appears in the uppermost and deepest parts of the profile. The soil in the Paryz II profile shows good  
Figure 3: Buffer capacity of soil in the Paryz profiles (**a**) Paryz I, soil: 1 (4–9 cm)—organic stratum, 2 (15–21 cm)—sands with fragments of carbonate rock, 3 (53–60 cm)—sands with weathered carbonate rock, 4 (172–177 cm)—sands, 5 (274–282 cm)—silty sands; (**b**) Paryz II, soil: 1 (18–34 cm)—crumbs of weathered dolomites, 2 (41–49 cm)—sands with large fragments of dolomites, 3 (88–96 cm)—clay with sands; (**c**) Paryz III, soil: 1 (6–10 cm)—organic strata, 2 (20–23 cm)—sands, 3 (23–30 cm) and 4 (40–48 cm)—sands with clay fraction. buffer properties only relative to acidifying agents in strata abundant in carbonate rocks (Figure 3b). The soil in the Paryz III profile has the best buffer capacity in the subsurface strata, being abundant in organic material (Figure 3c).