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ARS Home » Plains Area » Temple, Texas » Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #406224
Research Project: Contributions of Climate, Soils, Species Diversity, and Management to Sustainable Crop, Grassland, and Livestock Production Systems

Location: Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Title: Some characteristics of sandy plaggen soils

Author
item Krecker-Yost, Jenifer
item HARTEMINK, ALFRED - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2024
Publication Date: 2/2/2024
Citation: Yost, J.L., Hartemink, A.E. 2024. Some characteristics of sandy plaggen soils. Book Chapter. In: Hartemink, A.E., Huang, J., editors. Sandy Soils. Progress in Soil Science. Switzerland: Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50285-9_10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50285-9_10

Interpretive Summary: Plaggen soils, primarily found in Northwest Europe, were vital for improving the fertility of sandy soils before synthetic fertilizers were introduced. This review explores their classification, distribution, and physical and chemical properties. Plaggen soils are mainly located in sandy areas of countries like The Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland. Soil chemistry varies across countries, with acidic soils in The Netherlands, Germany, and Norway, and neutral to alkaline soils in Ireland. Cation exchange capacity is generally low, and total phosphorus levels are high. Plaggen soils have relatively high organic carbon content. These soils have generally a much higher fertility than surrounding sandy soils which have not been enriched with sod and manure.

Technical Abstract: Plaggen soils played a significant role in improving the fertility of sandy soils in Northwest Europe prior to the introduction of synthetic fertilizers. Plaggen soils are predominantly found in sandy areas in Europe, particularly in The Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland. The sand content was above 600 g kg-1 and the bulk density ranged from 1.0 to 1.7 Mg m-3. The plaggen soils in The Netherlands, Germany, and Norway were acid (pH 3.7-6.6) while such soils in Ireland were primarily neutral to alkaline (pH 5.4-7.8). Cation exchange capacity tended to be less than 15 cmolc kg-1 and base saturation ranged from 3 to 84%. High levels of total phosphorus were found, reaching up to 2,924 mg kg-1. Soil organic carbon was typically less than 35 g kg-1, but higher concentrations have been reported. These soils have generally a much higher fertility than surrounding sandy soils which have not been enriched with sod and manure.