Abstract The sixth edition of the Polish Soil Classification (SGP6) aims to maintain soil classification in Poland as a modern scientific system that reflects current scientific knowledge, understanding of soil functions and the practical requirements of society. SGP6 continues the tradition of previous editions elaborated upon by the Soil Science Society of Poland in consistent application of quantitatively characterized diagnostic horizons, properties and materials; however, clearly referring to soil genesis. The present need to involve and name the soils created or naturally developed under increasing human impact has led to modernization of the soil definition. Thus, in SGP6, soil is defined as the surface part of the lithosphere or the accumulation of mineral and organic materials permanently connected to the lithosphere (through buildings or permanent constructions), coming from weathering or accumulation processes, originated naturally or anthropogenically, subject to transformation under the influence of soil-forming factors, and able to supply living organisms with water and nutrients. SGP6 distinguishes three hierarchical categories: soil order (nine in total), soil type (basic classification unit; 30 in total) and soil subtype (183 units derived from 62 unique definitions; listed hierarchically, separately in each soil type), supplemented by three non-hierarchical categories: soil variety (additional pedogenic or lithogenic features), soil genus (lithology/parent material) and soil species (soil texture). Non-hierarchical units have universal definitions that allow their application in various orders/types, if all defined requirements are met. The paper explains the principles, classification scheme and rules of SGP6, including the key to soil orders and types, explaining the relationships between diagnostic horizons, materials and properties distinguished in SGP6 and in the recent edition of WRB system as well as discussing the correlation of classification units between SGP6, WRB and Soil Taxonomy.

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Polish Soil Classification, 6th edition – principles, classification scheme and correlations

A b s t r a c t. The database of Polish arable mineral soils is presented. The database includes a lot of information about the basic properties of soils and their dynamic characteristics. It was elaborated for about 1 000 representative profiles of soils in Poland The database concerns: particle size distribution, organic carbon content, acidity-pH, specific surface area, hydrophobicity – solidliquid contact angle, static and dynamic hydrophysical properties, oxidation-reduction properties and selected biological (microbiological) properties of soils. Knowledge about soil characteristics is indispensable for description, interpretation and prediction of the course of physical, chemical and biological processes, and modelling these processes requires representative data. The utility of simulation and prediction models describing phenomena which take place in the soil-plant-atmosphere system greatly depends on the precision of data concerning characteristics of soil. On the basis of this database, maps of chosen soil properties are constructed. The aim of maps is to provide specialists in agriculture, ecology, and environment protection with an opportunity to gain knowledge of soil properties and their spatial and seasonal variability. K e y w o r d s: database, Polish mineral soils, physicochemical properties, biological properties

Database of Polish arable mineral soils: a review

Human-induced erosion is one of the key factors leading to the soil degradation. Agricultural, undulating or hilly morainic areas of North-Eastern Poland are exposed to this negative process. This paper elucidates the influence of accelerated soil erosion on soil cover in young morainic landscapes of North-Eastern Poland (Brodnica Lake District). Detailed pedological investigation (21 soil pits and 375 augerholes) were carried out within two study sites (forest and agricultural). A comparison of fully developed forest reference soil pedons with arable soil has been made. Five classes of soil truncation have been distinguished. According to the identified degrees of truncation, maps of soil cover transformation, caused by accelerated erosion, were generated and overlapped on Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Eroded soils overlap 39.5% of agricultural area and 2.5% of forest site. The widespread occurrence of strongly and completely eroded pedons (respectively 7.4% and 5.4%), only in the agricultural areas, provides intense anthropogenic impact on soil cover in the agriculture areas of North-Eastern Poland. The average values of soil reduction are about 40–50 cm. In the case of completely eroded soils it exceeds even 100 cm. Truncation of pedons with abrupt textural change due to the slope processes leads to the disappearance of vertical textural contrasts and the formation of new soil units. The evidence of erosion from the topsoils is mainly the decrease in the content of organic matter and calcium carbonate enrichment. The effect of intensive slope processes is widespread occurrence of thick (up to 3 m) colluvial deposits.

Use of soil profile truncation to estimate influence of accelerated erosion on soil cover transformation in young morainic landscapes, North-Eastern Poland

An understanding of soil moisture content variability is fundamental in hydrological studies of peat soils, whose preservation depend on water-related processes. Dehydration of fens and adapting them for agricultural production have contributed to the degradation of peat soils. The goal of this study was to determine how the critical soil moisture content (CSMC) and soil water repellency (SWR) affect soil moisture patterns in a degraded peat-muck soil profile. SWR was measured under laboratory conditions using the water drop penetration time test, and then the CSMC was assessed. An investigation of moisture patterns was based on soil moisture data collected over short distances in a grass-covered peat-muck soil profile on seven dates. Observed differences in moisture patterns demonstrate that the CSMC can be used for the prediction of preferential flow occurrences in peat-muck soils. Lower values of the CSMC and lower levels of SWR persistence in muck layers than in peat layers indicate that degradation of peat soils improves their wettability. The relatively low values of CSMC and the low shrinkage potential in the muck layer suggest that preferential water flow in the degraded organic soils can occur when heavy rains are preceded by long periods of summer drought. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of Soil Water Repellency on Moisture Patterns in a Degraded Sapric Histosol

Eight soil profiles in Brodnica Lake District and Chelmno Lake District were described and sampled The profiles were divided into four pairs (study areas) dissimilar in lithology, relief or land use Each pair of profile contained soil located on the crest or upper slope (exposed to erosion) and back slope (slightly exposed to erosion) positions The relief of this area is inherited from the last (Vistulian) glaciation and represents mostly flat and hummocky moraine plateau landscapes All investigated pedons have a B-horizon Five profiles have vertical contrasting texture and contain a significantly developed eluvial zone (A and E horizons) above B horizon In three cases, pedons have A–B–C horizon sequence To date, numerous studies have shown that the soils with A–B–C profiles developed on moraine tills should be treated as Cambisols On existing soil-agricultural maps, these soils are also marked as Cambisols The B-horizons are enriched in the clay fraction and contain low amount of carbonates in comparison with the parent material All these criteria can be used to distinguish a cambic horizon but analysis of thin sections revealed the presence of significant amounts of clay and silt illuvial features The illuvial pedofeatures resulted in these horizons being classified as argic horizons (Bt) These soils cannot be classified as Cambisols which are characterized by absence of appreciable amounts of illuvial silt and clay Instead the A–B–C profile forms represent truncated Luvisols in which the material from eluvial horizons was entirely removed The soils described in this study occur in areas where soil erosion is common — the upper part of slopes and crests in arable areas The illuvial origin of B-horizons in truncated pedons (A–B–C) was also confirmed by the presence of eluvial horizons in nearby soils on the back slope position (slightly or non-exposed to erosion) The results showed that accelerated erosion had a significant role in development of soil cover in agriculture moraine landscapes of Brodnica and Chelmno Lake Districts The micromorphological analysis confirmed that the loamy soils with the A–B–C profile developed on ground moraine tills should be classified as truncated (eroded) Luvisols The B-horizons of these soils have significant accumulation of clay and silt features The illuvial microforms are the relic feature of eluviation–illuviation (lessivage) process The material from the eluvial horizons of Luvisols was entirely removed This study is important to understand the influence of soil erosion processes on soil cover development in young-glacial regions Further investigations concerning formation and characteristic of A–B–C-soils and appropriate classification of described pedons are very important for understanding the impact of accelerated erosion in young glacial landscapes

Luvisols or Cambisols? Micromorphological study of soil truncation in young morainic landscapes — Case study: Brodnica and Chełmno Lake Districts (North Poland)

The research was carried out in three catenas, in which the soils made a typical toposequence of the moraine landscape in Masurian Lakeland, i.e. eroded soils, deluvial soils, mucky soils as well as slightly and strongly silted peat-muck soils. The total content of Ca, Mg, K, P, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu was analyzed in these soils. The amounts of soil organic matter and measured elements showed catenal variation. Mucky soils had the highest content of Mg, K, Fe and Na whereas strongly and slightly silted peat-muck soils contained the highest amounts of P, Mn, Ca and Cu. The content of Ca was positively correlated with organic matter content. The amount of Mg, K, Cu and Mn was positively correlated with the amount of clay fraction. As the studied soils are located at the bottom of a slope, downwards water flow, where mineral compounds are accumulated in deposits or dissolved in water, mucky soils and silted peat-muck soils contain high amounts of the analyzed elements. Mucky soils and silted peat-muck soils play a role of biogeochemical barriers protecting wetlands against nutrients from surrounding moraine uplands. Surface horizons of deluvial soils were depleted of the analyzed elements (excluding P) whereas AO horizons of mucky soils and Mt horizons of peat-muck soils were abundant in the measured elements (excluding Ca). Various amounts of the analyzed elements in the pedons of the catena sequences should be taken into consideration when planning land use in the moraine landscape, which has unique natural values.

http://www.uwm.edu.pl/jold/poj1512010/jurnal-18.pdf

Distribution of elements in soils of moraine landscape in Masurian Lakeland.

The objective of the work was to investigate hydrophobic properties of soil formations with various amounts of organicmatter and occurring in young glacial landscape. The research was carried out in mineral, mineral-organic and organic (slightly andstrongly silted mucks, sedge peat, alder wood peat, reed peat) soil formations. Water repellency is very important in soil prot ection.It favors the formation of stable aggregates and prevents from soil erosion. The study was carried out applying two methods Œ waterdrop penetration time test (WDPT) and alcohol percentage test (AP). Among 51 analyzed soil samples in WDPT test, 64.7% ofmineral and mineral-organic soil formations were hydrophilic. Among organic soil formations 37.6% was slightly and stronglyhydrophobic and they represented strongly silted mucks. Unsilted and slightly silted mucks, weakly and strongly decomposed pea ts,were very strongly (18.8%) and extremely (43.6%) hydrophobic. AP test showed that strongly silted mucks were moderately and ver ystrongly hydrophobic. Slightly silted mucks, and peats were very strongly and extremely hydrophobic. It can be stated that waterrepellency decreases simultaneously with the degree of siltation of organic soil formations.

Water repellency of soils with various content of organic matter in north-eastern Poland

Soil organic matter contains various organic compounds and plays an important role in the circulation of organic carbon (SOC) and affects the quality of soils. Soil carbon loss via soil erosion and slope processes results in SOC variations along the slope. Deposition of silt and clay on peat-muck soils protects them from mineralization of organic carbon compounds and release of CO2 to ambient air. Slope processes occurring in northeastern Poland contribute to the reduction of SOC in eroded soils and sequestration of carbon in deluvial soils, mucky soils, and peat-muck soils. The pool of SOC and the lability of carbon can be used to assess the quality of soil in various conditions on the basis of the carbon management index (CMI). In the studied landscapes, the values increased down the slope and reached higher values in the soils covered with grasslands.

Sequestration of Humus Compounds in Soils of Northeastern Poland

Impact of siltation on the stability of organic matter in drained peatlands

Mineral alluvial and deluvial soils, mineral-organic mucky soils and organic peat-muck soils were developed from the Holocene deposits in northern Poland. The total content of Ca, Mg, K, P, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu was analysed in the following soils: alluvial soils which were formed from riverine deposits in delta and riverine landscapes, deluvial soils which were developed from slope deposits in a landscape of moraine hills and plains and in a riverine landscape as well as in mucky soils and peat-muck soils located in a landscape of moraine hills and plains and delta landscape. The aim of the paper was to determine total amount of the elements in a soil profile and catena sequence in the mentioned landscapes. Total content of analysed elements in the soils developed from the Holocene deposits varied considerably among the soil types, in a soil profile, among catena sequences and landscapes. The highest content of Fe, Mn, Mg, K, Zn and Cu was reported in alluvial soils whereas Ca reached the highest level in peat-muck soils. In the riverine landscape, the highest accumulation of total Ca, Mg, K, P, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu was stated for alluvial soils, having the lowest location in the catena. In the landscape of moraine hills and plains, total content of K, Zn and Cu was the highest in deluvial soils and mucky soils located in the lower part of the slope. The total content of Ca and P was the highest in peat-muck soils having the lowest location in the catena. Statistically significant differences in the content of Ca, Mg, K, and Cu were stated between alluvial soils in the riverine and delta landscapes. The differences in the content of analysed elements, excluding Cu, were also statistically significant between alluvial and deluvial soils.

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Sławomir Smólczyński

Papers

Distribution of elements in soils of moraine landscape in Masurian Lakeland.

Water repellency of soils with various content of organic matter in north-eastern Poland

Sequestration of Humus Compounds in Soils of Northeastern Poland

Impact of siltation on the stability of organic matter in drained peatlands

Content of Ca, Mg, Na, K, P, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu in soils developed from the Holocene deposits in north-eastern Poland