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PEDOBIOPLASMA ILLUVIATION - A NEW THEORY
Abstract
The paper emphasizes the deep influence of soil biota on pedobioplasma illuviation and on the evolution of illuvial coatings formed in soils with Fe-humic-clayey pedobioplasma. In the studied soils, two main types of pedofeatures were noticed, which pointed out that soil biota initiated and controlled the important pedogenetic processes: coprolites (pedofeatures generated by biological activity), as well as illuvial coating (textural pedofeatures generated by illuviation). Two types of coprolites were dominant: a) recent coprolites with uniform internal structure located in channels and surrounded by poral space; b) old non-uniform coprolites (with microzones residually enriched in skeleton grains, alternating with predominantly plasmic microzones) integrated in soil matrix. Plasma mobilization and further translocation have been initiated into the old coprolites. Several types of illuvial coating were also noticed in the studied soils, that ranging from impure clay coatings to limpid clay coatings. The plasma from the impure clay coatings is practically identical to the matrix plasma. These coatings are specific to mollic epipedon. The bonds between the plasmic components are very tight, therefore they leach and deposit together (the evidence being the impure clay coatings formation). The impure clay coatings represent the first evolutionary stage of the illuviation process that lead to the formation of argillans. Throughout time, they lose organic matter due to its biodegradation by microorganisms (remarked on coatings), which results in coating ?limpidity?, changing them from ?impure? to ?limpid? clay coatings. This highlights that soil biota initiated and controlled the important pedogenetic processes. Thus, soil fauna activity had a major influence on the illuvial process of pedobioplasma, while the activity of microorganisms had a major influence on coatings evolution. The results emphasize that soil, an ?undiscovered continent?, has still many mysteries connected to its living side to be discovered.
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References7
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