Characteristics of Some Podzolic Soils of the Northeastern United States

Abstract

AbstractPodzols, Brown Podzolic, Gray‐Brown Podzolic, and Red‐Yellow Podzolic soils are the zonal soils of greatest extent in the 12 Northeastern States. It is the purpose of this paper to review briefly the characteristics of these zonal soils, to indicate current ideas, and to point out some possible long time trends in genesis. The paper is a summary of many field observations in the area by the author.Podzols occupy the greatest area and many appear to be polygenetic. Brown Podzolic soils are sufficiently different from Podzols on the basis of chemical and morphological evidence to warrant separation at the great zonal group level. Some Gray‐Brown Podzolic soils are also polygenetic. It is rather striking that they occur chiefly on calcareous parent materials north of the Wisconsin terminal moraine, but are on acid parent material to the south of the moraine. Red‐Yellow Podzolic soils occur on remnants of very old land surfaces and, although limited in area, are more widespread than was once thought. The trend of soil development in the Northeast would seem to be toward Podzols and Red‐Yellow Podzolic soils. Brown Podzolic and Gray‐Brown Podzolic soils perhaps should be considered as transition stages.