Types of humus in soils
- Humus occurs in soils in many types, differentates in regard to morphology and fractional
- composition.
- A type of humus is it a morphological form of naturals accumulation of humic substances
- in profile or on the surface of soil, conditioned by general direction of soil-forming process and humification of organic matter.
- A types of humus in terrestrial enviroment are following:
- mor
- moder
- mull
- Mor is a type of humus, which occur largely in coniferous forest soils and the moorlands
- soils.
- This humus arise under conditions of low-biological activity in soil. The mineralization of
- organic matter proceed slowly and create layers, which maintain a structure of vegatable material.Acidophilic fungi and low activeinvertebrates participates in transformations of plant residues.
- Under these circumstances forms a litter of large thickness. C/N ratio of mor humus is
- always more than 20, or even 30-40, whereas pH is acid.
- Moder is a transitional form of humus between mull and moder, characteristic for
- sod-podzolic soils, loesses and mountain grassland soils.
- The organic horizons with moder humus consist of low-thicknessed litter (2-3 cm), which
- gradually, without bounds, pass on to humus-accumulative horizons.
- Moder is a type of medium humified humus. Acidophilic fungi and arthropodan
- participates in transformations of plant residues. C/N ratio equal 15-25. Produced mineral-organic complexes are labile and weakly bounded with mineral portion of soil.
- Mull is a type of humus characteristic for chestnut soils, phaeozems, rendzinas and others
- soils.
- This type of humus arise under grass vegetation.
- Mull is a well humified organic matter, which is produce in very biologically active
- habitat. This type of humus is characterized by neutral pH, C/N ratio nearing to 10 and ability to creation stable mineral-organic complexes.
Mull is a type of humus which occurs in soils under cultivation. - According to Kononova, the types of humus are divide as follows:
- First type of humus is characteristic for podzolic soils, grey brown soils and lateric soils
- under forest communities. In this humus predominate humic acids, thus humic acid/fulvic acid ratio is below 1. Humic acid indicate small extent of aromatic rings condensation and they are approximate to fulvic acids. Considerable hydrophilic properties of humic acids favor to creation of chelates with polyvalent cations and ability to displacement deep into profile of soil. Considerable mobility of this humus favor process of podsolization.
- Second type of humus is characteristic for phaeozems, rendzinas, black earths and
- brown soils. Humic acid/fulvic acid ratio is upper than 1, Extent of aromatic rings condensation is high in humic acids, which cause their hydrophobic properties and inability to creation of chelates. Humic acids are strongly connected with mineral portion of soil in this type of humus.
- Third type of humus is characteristic for semidesert soils. In this humus predominate
- fulvic acids fraction, whereas arise of humic acids is limited. Beyond this, humic acids are largely bounded with mineral portion of soil.
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