Fjölrit RALA - 15.06.2004, Page 34

Properties of soil derived from different volcanic parent material in Greece
A. Economou1, D. Pateras2, P. Michopoulos1 and E. Vavoulidou3.
1,2,3 Nationat Agricultural Research Foundation, 1 Forest Research Institute, Athens; 2lnstitute of Soil
Clasification and Mapping, Larissa, 3 Soil Science Institute, Athens.
Five soil profiles developed on volcanic parent materials were selected throughout Greece.
Three were taken from the South Aegean Volcanic arc and two from the island of Lesbos and
Limnos, North East of Greece (Fig. 1).
Profile Nol, Methana is located on the east peninsula of Peloponnesus, at 316 m altitude,
Landform: mountainous rehef, slopes >25%, position: middle slope, vegetation: Pinus
halepensis, Pistacia lediscus, Pistacia terebinthus, Quercus coccifera, Acer creticus,
Gyclamem greca. Parent materials are andesites (SÍO2: 56-63%). Although the volcano is
considered active for the last 900.000 years the last eruption is dated around 250 years BC and
a tomb of 1.3 km was formed. Two profiles come from Santorini Island, profile No2,
Vlychada and No3 Profitis Hias, which were also selected in the frame of Cost 622 action and
possed the Nol3 and 14 reference soil profiles of the Soil Resources of European Volcanic
Systems Programme.
No2 is situated in the south of Santorini,
at 80 m altitude, Landform: Volcanic
sediment plain, Land element: Terrace,
40°r slope 2%, Position:
Intermidiate.Vegetation: Grassland,
Chrysanthemum coronarium, Thymus,
Echium Plantagineum sp., Geranium sp.,
Scolymus hispanicus, Lolium. sp. Parent
material: pumice.
No3 is situated in the south east of
30 h Santorini, at 300 m altitude, Landform:
Volcanic sediment plain. Slope: Very
steep, Position: Middle slope, Vegetation:
90% Rhagnalon rupestre, Carthamus sp.
Parent material: pumice, volcanic ash,
Upper Pumice series.
Profile No 4, has been taken from Mitilini Island, at 460 m elevation. Landform: hilly. Land
element: Slope, Slope: 18-40%, Position: Middle slope Vegetation: Quercus coccifera, Q.
infectoria, Pinus brutia, Cistus incanus. Parent material: Dacitic, latitic, latiandesitic, and
quartz-andesitic, minor rhyodasitic lavas.
Profile No 5 has been taken from Limnos Island, at 280 m elevation, Landform: hilly. Land
element: Slope, Slope: 18-40%, Position: Upper slope, Vegetation: Avena sterilis, Bromus
hordeaceus, Hordeum bulbosum, Crepis foedida. Parent material: Volcanic Traheyiandesites,
Andesites.
The Methana profile (Nol) is of shallow depth, has a thick layer of organic matter, 6 cm
thick, derived from the pine forest litterfall. The soil depth is 34 cm, with a lot of stones on
the surface. Four horizons have been distinguished, A0 (6-0 cm), A1 (0-14), A/C (14-34) and
C (>34), with a light texture for all of them. The sand fraction is 80, 82 and 82% and the clay
one is 12, 10 and 8%, the pH (LIH2O) is 6.9, 7.1 and 7. The CEC is 4, 5.8 and 4.8 cmolckg' ,
the P olsen 344, 2.5 and 2.5 mg kg'1, the organic carbon is 25, 4.2 and 1.6% for A1,A/C and
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