The amounts and forms of zinc in twenty surface soils from Canterbury
and Southland, New Zealand were determined using a sequential fraction
ation scheme. Total soil zinc concentrations ranged from 38.1 mg . kg(
-1) to 113.8 mg . kg(-1). Although the proportions of zinc found in in
dividual fractions varied between soils, on average approximately 3% o
ccurred as exchangeable zinc, 5% as organic-bound zinc, 9%, 18%, 24% w
as associated with manganese, amorphous iron and crystalline iron oxid
es, respectively, and 40% was in the residual fraction. In a group of
soils formed in greywacke alluvium or loess, exchangeable zinc was inv
ersely related to soil pH. Within the same group of soils, those of si
milar age with greater concentrations of total and organic-bound zinc
were present in imperfectly- and poorly-drained soils compared with we
ll-drained soils. Zinc extracted from the soils with a range of reagen
ts used to assess 'plant available' zinc was correlated strongly with
the concentrations of zinc present in the exchangeable and organic-bou
nd zinc fractions.