Sediment Transfer through the Fluvial System (Proceedings of a symposium held in Moscow, August 2004). IAHS Publ. 288, 2004, 437–443

Abstract Copper fungicides, for example Bordeaux mixture, are frequently used in vineyards to protect young grapes against mildew. The copper accumulates in the topsoil layer where it is adsorbed to clay minerals and soil organic matter. Part of the copper may be transported across the vineyard by surface runoff and soil erosion, which could then enter the fluvial system. To investigate the transport and retention of copper in vineyards, detailed mapping of both the lateral and vertical spatial distribution of copper in vineyard soils was performed in two vineyards located in the Ouvèze catchment in southeastern France. The vertical distributions of copper concentrations over the soil profile, and the spatial distribution patterns of copper deposition densities enabled us to identify and assess the redistribution mechanisms and transfer rates of sediment-associated copper within the vineyard fields.

Key words copper; deposition; erosion; France; heavy metals; spatial variation; vineyards