Persistence of arable Chernozems and Chernic Rendzic Phaeozems in the eroded undulating loess plateau in Central Europe
Beata Łabaz, Jarosław Waroszewski, Michał Dudek, Adam Bogacz, Cezary Kabała
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Chernozems are considered to degrade under the temperate humid climate of Central Europe, particularly in the arable and undulating areas and, thus, exposed to erosion. The present study was carried out in the loess-covered Proszowice Plateau (southern Poland), which was found to have a continuous cover of chernozemic soils in the past. Ten soil profiles located in two neighbouring slope catenas have documented the sequence of chernozemic and non-chernozemic soils (Chernozems, Phaeozems, and Calcisols), impacted by water erosion under intense arable land use and spatially dependent on the relief intensity. Soils in elevated, strongly inclined (and, thus, intensely eroded) slope positions lost their mollic horizons and gained the features of Calcisols. However, soils in elevated, slightly inclined positions preserved the morphological and physicochemical features of Chernozems, even if their chernic horizons were thinned to a ploughing depth. Also the colluvial soils located on the short slopes, in close proximity to eroded hilltops, are saturated with secondary carbonates throughout the profile and retain their chernozemic features (Calcic Chernozems). Whereas, the colluvial soils located on the long, slightly inclined slopes, at a large distance to eroded hilltops, are deeply leached from carbonates and meet the criteria of Haplic Phaeozems (in well drained sites) or Gleyic Phaeozems (in poorly drained foothills and depressions). Moreover, the Chernic Rendzic Phaeozems with thick mollic/chernic horizons are present in elevated (thus expectedly eroded) parts of hills with thin loess overlying the limestone bedrock. The presence of chernic ho rizons in soils threatened by erosion indicates that the persistence of Chernozems and Chernic Rendzic Phaeo zems is possible in undulating arable lands threatened by erosion in temperate humid climate of Central Europe if supported by sustainable agriculture, preventing soil erosion and organic matter loss from humus horizons.
DOI:10.1016/j.catena.2022.106417
