gley soil Flashcards
what climate is a gley soil found in?
extremely cold climates which have a low temperature for most of the year or tundra areas
is there any oxygen in the soil?
no the conditions are anaerobic
what is the vegetation?
short shrubs and grasses which have short roots
what happens because the roots are short?
there is a lack of recycling of minerals back to the vegetation
why is there a small amount of vegetation?
waterlogged soil and very cold climate
what type of humus is found in a gley and why?
a thin layer of black acidic mor humus because humification is slow due to a slow decomposition rate of organic material from cold temperatures
what do anaerobic conditions mean for the mixing of the soil?
there is a lack of soil biota so the soil is not mixed much giving it more distinct soil horizons
why is the B horizon blue/grey?
anaerobic conditions mean the soil is blue/grey.
the iron compounds in the soil are changed from red/ brown to blue due to even more oxygen being extracted by microorganisms
what causes water logging?
impermeable clay which impedes drainage
where are gleys found and what does this mean?
gleys are found on slat surfaces such as plateau moorland or foots of slope meaning water can not drain away by gravity
red mottling occurs in small air pockets due to reoxygenation of the iron in the soil from…
burrowing animals or the soil frying out in summer
there is little leaching, why?
the soil is frozen for most of the year
describe the rock fragments found in a gley
they are angular stratified rock fragments due to very slow weathering
where is the permafrost found and what does this mean
below 1 meter so summer heat can not penetrate
solid bedrock is found at the bottom why..
because weathering is extremely slow
