2020
1st International Conference of Soil and Agriculture:
TOWARDS SOIL SUSTAINABILITY
11–13 June 2024 • Lublin–Nałęczów, Poland
https://doi.org/10.24326/ICSA1.PP.17
Published online: 4 October 2024
Water and air properties of rusty soils in diverse forest stands
Beata Kołodziej1*, Kinga Jurek2
1 Institute of Soil Science, Environmental Engineering and Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Leszczyńskiego 7, 20-069 Lublin, Poland
2 Faculty of Agrobioengineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author:
Abstract
The rusty soils commonly occurring in Europe, are valuable habitats of natural and managed forests. The study was carried out to determine the water and air properties of rusty soils in two forest stands: fresh mixed coniferous forest and fresh coniferous forest. Soil samples were taken from each genetic horizon and laboratory analyses of texture, particle density, moisture and air permeability were performed. The bulk density, total and differential porosity, water retention and field air capacity were also calculated. The soils were classified as podzolic rusty soils developed from aeolian sands. The sequence of genetic layers was as follows: O-AE-BhsBv-Bv-C. Below the organic horizon, a grey-coloured transitional humus-eluvial horizon with bleached sand grains was found. In this and the next layer, the podzolization process were observed. Below there was a diagnostic horizon with a characteristic colour related to the formation of Fe-Al coatings on sand grains. The lowest layer was sandy parent rock. The texture of soils studied was defined as sand with a sand particle content of over 95% (w/w). The particle density in both soils was between 2.64 and 2.65 Mg/m3, which was due to the density of dominated quartz. The soil bulk density values of mixed coniferous forest ranged from 1.33–1.69 Mg/m3 and in coniferous forest 1.50–1.75 Mg/m3. In mixed forest, the bulk density increased with increasing depth. The total porosity in both cases ranged from 34 to 50 cm3/100 cm3, i.e. typical for mineral soils in Poland. The permanent wilting point was generally higher in the first case, with the exception of the Bv horizon. The water properties of the soils of both stands were classified as poor in the AEes horizons and very poor in the other horizons. Macropores dominated among the pores, which was related to the sandy texture of the soil. The soil air properties of coniferous forest were classified as very good throughout the soil profile. In the case of mixed coniferous forest, the air properties of the soil were very good in the BhfeBv and Bv horizons and good in the AE and C horizons. In summary, the rusty soils of different forest stands, i.e. fresh mixed coniferous forest and fresh coniferous forest, were characterized by similar physical properties.
Keywords: physical properties, Brunic Arenosol, forest soil
How to cite
Kołodziej B., Jurek K., 2024. Water and air properties of rusty soils in diverse forest stands. 1st International Conference of Soil and Agriculture: Towards Soil Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICSA1.PP.17
