Soils

What is zonal soil

Fully developed soil

where is podzol

Subarctic climate across North America and Eurasia, prolonged harsh winters and cool summers so mainly boreal coniferous forests

Where is Latosols

Found in tropical rainforests, high temperatures and very humid in the tropics

Soil horizon of Podzol (1metre depth)

• Pine needles

• Thick black humus

• Increasing acidity

• Becomes sandy as material is washed down

• Waterlogging may occur

• Clay stained with FeO

Latosol soil horizon (30m deep)

• fertile A horizon is very shallow, as soon as leaf litter is humus it gets absorbed by vegetation

• Rainfall is higher so soil moisture surplus so there’s lots of leaching Fe = red soils

Podzol and human activities

• associated with upland sheep farming and Heather moorland with controlled burning for the breeding of grouse

• Grouse shooting generates 150 million annually

Latozols and human activity

• poor for agriculture because nutrient layer is thin

• When trees are gone there’s heavy leaching

• Burning vegetation and leaving to recover can add nutrients to soil

• Large areas of burning without recovery means permanent soil degradation

• Useful for building when dry