Abstract
A podzol has been described in the Iberian Range (Moncayo Natural Park), which may represent the southernmost example in Europe. The fact that it occurs at the podzol distribution limit makes its morphology atypical. The aim of this work is to identify the components and formation processes of the soil, and to determine if the processes are active or paleo-processes by a micromorphological approach. The study podzol is located in the top of a northern hillside (30% of slope), at 1600 m altitude on quartzitic sandstones, under Scots pine (<em>Pinus sylvestris</em>) with an udic moisture regime and a frigid temperature regime. We found opaque, orthic iron oxide nodules at the base of the profile (Bhs1), which is related to a current oxidation-reduction process; silt caps are also observed on the coarse elements, pedofeatures evidencing the cryoturbation process, probably also current processes. In the Bhs2 horizon, coatings and micro-laminated clay infillings are identified that are interspersed with fine silts in the holes. Many of these coatings are fragmented and mixed with the basal mass of the soil, indicating that they are paleofeature, possibly prior to the current podzolization.
Highlights
Podzols represent 3.2% of the world soil cover (IUSS Working Group WRB 2015) and nearly 20% of European soils (Tóth et al 2008) but they are rare in Spain, where they cover only about 0.1% of its surface (Gómez-Miguel and Badía-Villas 2016)
The aim of this work is to characterize the micromorphology of one Podzol, located in the Iberian Range (NE Spain), to identify its components and to determine whether the processes are active or past
The Bhs horizon fulfill the morphological and analytical criteria of spodic horizon and, the soil can be classified as Podzol (IUSS Working Group WRB 2015) or Spodosol (Soil Survey Staff 2014)
Summary
Podzols represent 3.2% of the world soil cover (IUSS Working Group WRB 2015) and nearly 20% of European soils (Tóth et al 2008) but they are rare in Spain, where they cover only about 0.1% of its surface (Gómez-Miguel and Badía-Villas 2016). Spodosols in Soil Taxonomy System (Soil Survey Staff 2014), are present in NW Spain (Macías and Calvo de Anta 2001; Carballas et al 2016) and in small and scattered areas in NE Spain such as the Catalan Pyrenees (Bech et al 1981; Boixadera et al 2008), the Basque Country (Camps and Aizpurúa 2007) and the Sierra de Urbasa, Navarra (Val Legaz and Íñiguez Herrero 1981a). In some cases, these soils have macro- and micro-morphologic podzolic characteristics but their B horizons do not always meet the spodic horizon diagnostic criteria (Val Legaz and Íñiguez Herrero 1981b). The aim of this work is to characterize the micromorphology of one Podzol, located in the Iberian Range (NE Spain), to identify its components and to determine whether the processes are active or past (paleo-processes)
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