Chemical properties of organic soils developed from lacustrine chalk near the lakes Strzeszowskie, Sitno, and Sierakowo (Western Pomerania, north Poland)

Abstract

The genesis of organic soils is closely connected with water. The occurrence of carbonate deposits in the central and lower part of organic soil profile points to the link between their genesis and post-glacial lakes. The studies conducted in the years 2009–2012 focused on organic soils near lakes: Strzeszowskie, Sitno (Myśliborskie Lakeland) and Sierakowo (Ińskie Lakeland), north Poland. The goal of the present study was to characterize chemical properties of organic soils developed on carbonate deposits. The examined soils belonged to organic muck and sapric peat soils. They contained variable amount of organic matter (32,4–66,6%). The C/N ratio depended on the degree of mineralization. The soils under study, had a high level of available forms of Ca and low level of P, K, Cu, and Zn. Both in surface and subsurface horizons of muck and sapric peat soils the content of exchangeable cations may be ranked as follows: Ca > Mg > K > Na. Basic cations total in organic horizons was distinctly higher than in calcareous sediments. In organic horizons and limnic deposits, the share of exchangeable form of Ca in the sum of basic cations exceeded 95%.

Keywords

• organic soils
• post-bog soils
• chemical properties
• limnic calcareous sediments