The effect of the presence of buried soils and paleosols on the quality of Hungarian soils [antikvár]

Buried soils are grouped into three categories, namely Holocene soils, Pleistocene ones and those of earlier geologic periods. Buried soils mainly occur on floodplains and in sandy areas in Hungary. Gradual subsidence of the lowland areas and irrationally high rate of deforestation in the catchment regions have resulted in the burial of soils with younger deposits in the floodplain areas; most of the soils buried here are black hydromorphic ones. The major cause of burial in the sandy areas, however, is repeated deposition of the shifting sand. Climatic changes and the beginning cultivation of the originally grassland and forest areas have resulted in the movement and redeposition of the sandy deposits. Most of the Pleistocene-age paleosols have come to light in loess profiles. They can be regarded as remnants of forest soils with varying humus profiles and serve as excellent stratigraphic markers in studies of loess deposits. Key words: Paleosols, buried soils, floodplains, shifting sand, loess, Hungary The quality of Hungárián soils has significant impact not only upon the methods utilized in and the productivity of agricultural production, but alsó on the quality of the environment. As the presence of buried soils and paleosols has significant influence on the water and nutrient regime of soils, their composition and properties as well as possible influential effects are very important from the agricultural point of view. However, one should alsó keep in mind that the quality and depth of buried soils and paleosols can altér or influence the variadon of certain environmental factors, such as the relief or the erodibility of soils, the movement and the quality of groundwater as well as the distribution of soil contamination. In the following two sets of buried soils these issues will be discussed in detail: buried soils in sandy areas and those on alluvial plains. Figure 1 displays an assumed distribution of these two types of buried soils in Hungary. In the case of the sandy areas the deposition of wind-born sediments was largely responsible for the formation of buried soils. On the basis of their composition two major kinds can be distinguished: humus-rich sand covered with shifting sand and meadow (hydromorphic) soils under loess or silty sand cover. The quality of these soils is much better compared to those lacking buried finerAddress: E Stefanovits: H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1, Hungary, E-mail: [email protected] Received: 1 January, 2002 0236-5278/2002/$ 5.00 © 2002 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest