Luvisols of the Carpathian Foothills and the Precarpathians in Poland and the Ukraine

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Luvisols of the Carpathian Foothills and the Precarpathians in Poland and the Ukraine

Journal Title: Roczniki Bieszczadzkie - Year 2012, Vol 20, Issue 1

Abstract

Genesis of Luvisols and Albeluvisols is connected with translocation of the finest mineral particles (i.e. clay minerals and iron oxides) with percolating water and humic acids from upper part of the soil profile to the lower soil horizons (socalled lessivage). In effect, upper soil horizons (A and E horizons) show lower amounts of colloidal particles, higher total porosity and lower bulk density in comparison with deeper soil horizons (especially upper part of the illuvial horizon). It has clear impact on infiltration of water, which forms periodic perched water table on the illuvial horizons. It leads to seasonal redox processes (i.e. reduction and oxidation of iron and manganese oxides and hydroxides) due to periodic lack of oxygen and microbiological activity of soil microorganisms. Reduced iron and manganese oxides are dissolvable in water and may migrate with soil solution as long as they reoxidize and reprecipitate in aerobic zones forming Fe-Mn nodules of different size and shape as well as rusty-greyish mottles. Occurrence of the nodules and mottles indicates stagnogleyic processes. Main aim of the present studies was to compare morphology, physicochemical and micromorphological properties of Albeluvisols of the Carpathian Foothills in Poland with Albeluvisols occurring within the Precarpathians in the Ukraine. The studies were carried out within the east part of the Carpathian Foothills in Poland (i.e. the Przemyskie Foothills and Jasło-Krosno basin – Witoszyńce and Jedlicze profiles) as well as in the neighbourhood of Kałusz in the Ukraine (Mysliv and Piilo profiles). The soil profiles, which were selected to the detailed investigations, are characterized by different vegetation cover (i.e. crop soil, forest soils, and forest soil, which previously was a crop soil). The studied Albeluvisols of the Carpathian Foothills in Poland and the Precarpathians in the Ukraine show very similarities in morphology, physicochemical and micromorphological properties. Genesis of the Albeluvisols studied is related to lessivage and stagnogleyic processes. The latter process is connected with periodic stagnation of water on very slow permeable illuvial horizons (i.e. fragipan and argillic horizons). Some differences in morphology and chemical properties (pH, exchangeable acidity, base saturation) between the studied Albeluvisols are rather the effect of different land use (crop soils versus forest soils) than different pedogenesis.

Authors and Affiliations

Wojciech Szymański, Stefan Skiba, Volodymir Nikorych, Svitlana Polchyna

Keywords

EP ID EP125277
DOI -
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