Back to photostream

Chernozem soil and landscape DE

Black land soil and landscape in Germany; Photo provided by Altermann, Merbach, I., Körschens, Rinklebe, UFZ Leipzig-Halle.

www.dbges.de/en/Boden-des-Jahres-2005-Die-Schwarzerde

 

Chernozem is a black-colored soil containing a high percentage of humus and carbonates. Chernozem is very fertile and can produce high agricultural yields with its high moisture storage capacity. Chernozems are also a Reference Soil Group of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB).

 

For more information about soil classification using the WRB system, visit:

www.fao.org/3/i3794en/I3794en.pdf

 

The name comes from the Russian terms for black and soil, earth or land (chorny + zemlya). The soil, rich in organic matter presenting a black color, was first identified by Russian geologist Vasily Dokuchaev in 1883 in the tallgrass steppe or prairie of European Russia.

 

In the USDA soil classification system Chernozem soils are similar to Mollisols. The central concept of Mollisols is that of soils that have a dark colored surface horizon and are base rich. Nearly all have a mollic epipedon. Many also have an argillic or natric horizon or a calcic horizon. A few have an albic horizon. Some also have a duripan or a petrocalic horizon.

 

For additional information about USDA soil classification, visit:

www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/cla...

 

615 views
4 faves
3 comments
Uploaded on September 4, 2021
Taken in January 2012