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Podzol horizons
- Well defined horizons due to absence of worms and limited reworking of the soil. This also involves a process called Podsolisation which involves pronounced leaching due to rainfall and spring snow melt of material(iron, aluminium and humus compounds)
- Shallow roots prevent moxong of soil between layers
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Location of Podzols
Found in Northen boreal coniferous forests with associated cold,wet climates in which precipetation is greater than evaporation
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Ao horizon podzols
- L-fresh litter- needles, cones and heather shoots
- F- slow degeneration beacuse of limited bacteria activity and cold climate
- H- Acidic mor humus - with a pH of 3.5-4.0
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A horizon podzols
- Ash gray with a sandy texture
- This is beacuse all of its minerala (iron, clay and humus) have been washed out leaving insoluble silicates
- Zone of eluviation
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B horizon podzols
- Red/brown colour with denser texture
- This is beacause iron and aluminium have been illuviated in and redeposited in the soil
- If iron accumulates over a long time a rust coloured iron pan forms, often several cm's thick
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Iron pan prevents
- Penetration of plant roots
- free drainage of the podsol resulting in water logging(gleying)
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Ao horizon brown earth
- l-fresh, thick litter, especially in Autumn of falling leaves
- F-rapid decomposition with earth worm and bacterial activity
- H-mildly acidic mull Humus-5.8
- decomposes quicker than podzol due to milder climate
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A Horizon brown earth
- well areated
- dark brown as humus replaces minerals that are leached out
- leaching is small due to close balance of precipetation and evaporation
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B Horizon brown earth
- not clearly defined as it merges from A horizon
- Lighter brown due to humus being less abundent
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Brown earth location
Developed beneath the temperate broad leaved deciduous forests of Europe, russia and north america
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