Extractable Al and Si compounds in pale-podzolic soils of the Central Forest Reserve: Contents and distribution along the profile and by size fractions

Abstract

The profile distributions of oxalate- and pyrophosphate-soluble Al compounds and oxalate-soluble Si compounds in the main horizons of pale-podzolic soils of the Central Forest Reserve and the fractions <1. 1–5, and >5 μm have been considered. In the clay-eluvial part of soil profile, the content of these compounds is differentiated by the eluvial–illuvial type with a clear accumulation in the EL horizon compared to the AEL horizon. This distribution is largely ensured by their differentiation in the clay and fine silt fractions, while an accumulative distribution of mobile Al compounds is observed in fractions >5 μm. The high correlation between the Al and Si contents in the Tamm extracts from the clay and fine silt fractions with the (Al_ox–Al_py)/Si_ox molar ratios, which are in the range of 1–3 in the EL horizon, confirms that mobile compounds are accumulated in these fractions in the form of amorphous aluminosilicates. In the AEL and EL horizons, an additional amount of Al can pass into the oxalate solution from the fine fractions due to the dissolution of Al hydroxide interlayers of soil chlorites. The eluvial–illuvial distribution of mobile Al and Si compounds typical for Al–Fe–humus podzols within the clay-illuvial part of profiles of the soils under study can be considered as an example of superimposed evolution.