Podzolization
Encyclopedia
Podzolization is the comprehensive name for the process of mobilization and precipitation of dissolved organic matter, together with aluminum Al and iron Fe as they are leaching down from the A and E horizons to the B horizon . Through this process the overlying eluvial horizons are getting bleached. The complexes are moving to the brown, red or black horizon, which consist of cemented sesquioxide
Sesquioxide
A sesquioxide is an oxide containing three atoms of oxygen with two atoms of another element. For example, aluminium oxide is a sesquioxide.Many sesquioxides contain the metal in the +3 oxidation state and the oxide ion, e.g., Al2O3, La2O3...

s and/or organic compounds. The process of podzolization occurs usually under low pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...

 value . The corresponding soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...

 type is called Podzol. But there exist synonyms for Podzol. In China and United States of America it is called Spodosoils, in Brazil it's called Espodossolos and in Australia Pedosols. The Podzols are typical soils for humid boreal and humid temperate zones. Podzols cover about 485 million ha worldwide and are usually found under coniferous forest or under heather . Podzols are able to occur on almost any rock and form on quartz-rich sands and sandstones, or on sedimentary debris from magmatic rocks, provided that there is a high precipitation . Podzols count as unattractive soil for farming. The reason is the sandy fraction of the soil, which means a low level of moisture and nutrient
Nutrient
A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted to and used as energy...

. A low pH makes it even worse. Furthermore, phosphate deficit and aluminium toxicity
Toxicity
Toxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage a living or non-living organisms. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ , such as the liver...

 are other problems. Podzols can be left idle under their natural fauna or else the best use of Podzols is grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...

.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK