Fjölrit RALA - 15.06.2004, Page 86

Some specific features of soil distribution in volcanic mountains of Slovakia
B. Juráni
Comenius University, Faculty ofNatural Science, Department ofSoil Science, Bratislava,
Slovak Republic
Volcanic soils in Slovakia are rather wide-spread, covering totally over 10 per-cent of the
whole area. The main part (66 per-cent) is covered by forest, rest (34 per-cent) is used for
agriculture. As a most dominant soils of this area can be considered (WRB 1998) Cambisols,
but rather well spread are also Leptosols, Regosols, Luvisols, Albeluvisols and Planosols,
smallest extend is covered by Andosols
Soil distribution in different mountains has specific features resulting from geological,
climatic, vegetation conditions and way of land use in any part of the given area. Paper deals
with Slovakia most interesting features of the soil distribution, which occurs.
Krupinská planina mountains (868.6 km2) has very specific distribution of soil. The main
part of the area is built by andesites and pyroclastic material in form of plateau , later deeply
cutted by erosion. Flat rests of the plateau forms today long ridges, with flat surface on the
top. This surface is covered by rather thin (just a few meters thick) layer of loam having,
eolian and solifluction origin.. Under such conditions most common soils here are Stagnic
Albic Luvisols, Stagnic Albeluvisols, Luvic and Albic Planosols This land is used for
agriculture of lower intensity. Steep slopes of erosion valleys are covered mainly by
Cambisols, but on rock-outcrops also with Leptosols. Due to steep sloping and shallow soils,
the main part is covered by forest, except southem promontories , thanks to influence of
Hungarian lowland chmate as well as microclimatic conditions (southem slopes) for centuries
wine is grown, This is reason, why mainly Anthrosols can be find there.
Another type of specific soil features occurs in Cerová vrchovina mountains (496,7 km2)
dominantly built by basalt and its pyroclastic material. On highest part of the mountains
occurs Eutric Cambisols and Skeletic Leptosols, but locally also Chromic Cambisols
(according Kubiena 1953 Rotlehm and Braunlehm), on few places also accumulated Chromic
material with admixture of eolian sediments. Similar soil conditions does not occurs in any
other volcanic mountains of Slovakia.
Andosols in Slovakia occurs only in highest volcanic mountains, in elevation over 800 m
over sea level, with one exception. The most important are climatic conditions, to be wet
enough, to create Andosöls. Vegetation is mainly deciduous forest. Agricultural land use is
less common an if, than today mainly meadow and pasture. For this reasons, Fulvic Andosols
are dominant, Melanic Andosols are mostly exception
References
FAO, ISRIC, ISSS. 1998. World Reference Base for Soil Resources. p. 88 Rome
Kubiena, W.L. 1953. Bestimmungsbuch und Systematik der Boden Europas. p. 388 Stuttgart
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