Gleysols

The base class Gleye ( North German: bran, Latin: CLIA ) contains groundwater influenced soils, which are roughly neither on the coast nor in meadows or bogs. The Gleye be divided into four soil types. Of the gleys the Pseudogley is clearly separated, because he is a waterlogged soil and a different history has.

Emergence and dissemination

Situated on surface groundwater, it usually comes to Vergleyung. This is the case in river valleys or lowlands, but can occur in rainy areas in sluggish outflow layers. Since the formation of Gleye is determined by the presence of groundwater, they are azonal soils, ie soils that occur worldwide, regardless of landscape or climate. Their soil type can be diverse depending on the location.

Gleye are under a stronger influence than the groundwater alluvial soils. The average groundwater level in this case is less than 0.8 m below the ground surface, with a fluctuation of mostly 0,5 - 1,0 m, but may extend under certain circumstances, up to the surface. The different soil types of Gleye be determined on the basis of humus content in the topsoil and the height of the water table.

• Ground water deeper than 4 dm and less than 15 % of humus - ( standard ) Gley
• Very high levels of ground water and less than 15 % of humus - Nassgley
• Very high levels of ground water and 15 % to 30 % of humus - Anmoorgley
• Very high levels of ground water and more than 30 % of humus, but less than 30 cm Torfauflage - Moorgley

In the international soil classification ( WRB ) they are usually addressed as Gleysols, rare as Fluvisols.

Leveling

Gleye have idealized the leveling A / Go / Gr. You usually lack the verbraunte and verlehmte by weathering subsurface horizon ( Bv ) of the brown earth completely. In Anmoorgleyen and Moorgleyen the Go- horizon may be absent.

The A horizon ( mineral surface horizon ) is often above the ground water influence.

This is followed by the oxidation horizon (Go). He has been influenced by groundwater, but still contains oxygen and is protected by rust-red spots ( mottling ) and concretions characterized by higher quality iron and manganese compounds ( bog iron and Manganstippigkeit ). In him the water penetrates only by transient changes of the water table or capillary forces.

On the Go- horizon, the horizon reduction (Gr) connects to prevail in the oxygen-free anaerobic conditions. He is pale gray to green or blue-black, and constantly in the groundwater zone.

This horizon division caused by rising groundwater. For classification in the class of Gleye must caused by groundwater features such as rust stains, be detectable in the top 4 dm of the soil. At depths between 4 and 8 dm dm are transitions to the alluvial soils or to terrestrial soils, which then eg are referred to as gleyed brown earth.

Characteristics and usage

Due to the high and fluctuating groundwater level Gleye are wet, and cold air arm in the winter and in the spring, summer and autumn, dry, cracked and firm. Your nutrient reservoir is comparable to that of Vega ( Brown Auenboden ), but being a lower availability given. Usually Gleyböden are somewhat richer in nutrients than the soil around them. As natural vegetation a softwood would be due to the large water reserve set of water- requiring tree species ( alder, poplar, ash ).

Since many Gleye occur only in sinks and flood channels and there often in transitional forms to Vega, the agronomic disadvantages of high groundwater levels are taken in favor of a possible large-scale and consistent shot making in purchasing. Depending on the type of soil and location occur after a draining before very diverse land value figures. They are often used as grassland sites.