NWEL soils Flashcards
(41 cards)
(eastern river landscape) high positions on sandy Late-Pleniglacial terraces soil
Brown forest soil (moder-podzol soils)
(eastern river landscape) CHARACTERISTICS high positions on sandy Late-Pleniglacial terraces soil
- Mineral rich
- Well drained soil (moder humus)
- Decalcified
- (acid soil) 4.5 – 6.5 pH (rain)
- Much biological activity
- There is weathering of primary minerals which releases iron and it oxidises, giving the soil a more orange colour. (brownification)
(eastern river landscape) high positions on clayey Late-Pleniglacial terraces soil
2 soils
‘Rade’ (xero) brick soils. But when brick layer is very thick and clayey. Water cannot easily drain anymore and thus becomes hydromorphic (wetter conditions). ‘Kuil’ brick soils
(eastern river landscape) CHARACTERISTICS high positions on clayey Late-Pleniglacial terraces
- Relatively fertile and mineral rich
- Wel drained an decalcified
- Translocation of clay (pH range: 4.5 – 6.5) E horizon: clay particles move downward with draining water, Bt horizon: clay accumulates in pores and may plug them up -> pseudogley (not because of difference in GWL but because of drainage.
- Biological homogenisation
(eastern river landscape) low positions on clayey Late-Pleistocene terraces SOIL
polder vague soil
(eastern river landscape) CHARACTERISTICS low positions on clayey Late-Pleistocene terraces
- Deep residual channels
- Poorly drained (permanently wet)
- No translocation of clay
- No biological homogenisation
- Grey colour because of fully reduced state of iron in the soil.
(eastern river landscape) CHARACTERISTICS of river dunes:
- Coarse sand parent material and often poor in clay.
- Not very infertile, but low specific surface area, so hard for vegetation to pick up nutrients. Low pH < 4.5 (organic acids)
- Well drained on high positions and poorly drained at low positions. Fungi decompose litter and release organic acid.
(eastern river landscape) river dune soils (2 types)
On the higher areas: Xeropodzol soil (‘Haar’) characterized by illuviation of humus. E horizon: eluviation of organic acids (bare sand grains). Bh horizon: amorphous organic matter settles as coatings around sand grains. Not good for plants.
On the lower areas: Hydropodzol soil (‘Veld’)
(eastern river landscape) foot of the dune
During the Middle Holocene there was aeolian drifting causing ‘Duin’ vague soils and peat formation at the foot of the dune (‘Moer’ podzol soil).
natural levees soil (central river landscape)
- Clayey xerovague soils: ‘Ooi’ vague soil
CHARACTERISTICS natural levee (central river landscape)
- Well drained
- PHCP (permanent, homogeneous, connected, poresystem) structure well developed because of much biological activity.
- Completely ripened
- Calcareous (deposited by the river) In the top layer it has been decalcified because of acid rainwater infiltrating.
- Fining upward sequence
- Very young soil
BETUWE
old settlements on the levees soil (central river landscape)
- Clayey xero-earth soils: ‘Tuin’ earth soils
CHARACTERISTICS old settlements on the levees (central river landscape)
- Well drained
- Much biological activity
- Thick A horizon (>50 cm) caused by organic fertilization and elevation of the land.
soils on the floodbasins (central river landscape)
- Clay hydrovague soils: ‘Polder’ vague soils
CHARACTERISTICS soils on the floodbasins (central river landscape)
Ca2+?
- Poorly drained
- Heavy texture (very clayey)
- PHCP poorly developed
- Deeper horizons may not be completely ripened (laklaag)
- Non calcareous due to synsedimentary decalcification
river dunes (‘donken’) soil (central river landscape)
- Brown forest soils (moder podzol soils)
CHARACTERISTICS soils of the river dunes (central river landscape)
- Nutrient rich, relatively fine sandy parent material which results in a larger specific surface area.
- Well drained
- Decalcified (not synsedimentary!) due to rain
soils of dike breach deposits: (central river landscape)
- Clayey xerovague soils (‘Ooi’ vague soils) and clayey xero-earth soils
CHARACTERISTICS soils of dike breach deposits (central river landscape)
- Fanshaped, coarse matrial (overslagen)
- Well drained, relative to natural levees clayey but heterogeneous in texture, sometimes there is an earthy layer. When there is intensive agriculture for a long time there is a more prominent A horizon.
(western river landscape) soils of natural levees
‘Polder’ vague soils
CHARACTERISTICS of natural levee soil (western river landscape)
Ca2+?
- Poorly drained
- Heavy texture (very clayey)
- PHCP poorly developed
- Non calcareous (synsedimentairy decalcification)
soils of floodbasins (with a clay cover) (western river landscape)
- Clay cover thins away from the natural levee.
- Clay cover 40 -80 cm -> clayey hydrovague soils (‘Drecht’ vague soil)
- Clay cover <40 cm -> raw peat (black) soils with clay cover: ‘Waard’ peat soils
(western river landscape) River dunes background info
The river dunes have a brown forest soil, same properties as in central river landscapes. Locally they are at ground surface but can be few meters above surroundings (‘donken’). In the subsurface the former river dunes are much larger complexes. Strongly changed by human habitation.
Soils in low-lying peat areas as a result of imported top layer
Koop peat soil - eutrophic peat (wood remains etc.)
