Humus Forms

The Aim of Working Group Humus forms is to refine the German systematic stratification of humus forms. A further task is the organization of workshops discussing and demonstrating the morphological, chemical and biological properties of humus forms with students and soil surveyors. The working group is part of Commission III - Soil Biology of the German Soil Science Society.

Working Group Humusforms

Parcipitans of the workshop Humus forms 2019 at Finsterwalde (Photo: Research Institute for Post-Mining Landscapes)

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Workshop and exkursion: 13. - 15.09.2019: Initial Humus forms in reclaimed soils of the open cast brown coal mines in Lower Lusatia

By AG Humusformen of the German Soil Science Society and Research Institute for Post-Mining Landscapes

Recultivation of post-mining areas by afforestation leads to the development of soils with significant increase in soil organic matter. The accumulation of soil organic matter in and on the mineral soil is one of the first pedogenic processes in theses soils. In accordance to the predominant soil forming factor an A-layer and different humus form will develop.

On the young soils of the post-mining brown coal area of Lower-Lusatia a time sequence of different humus forms can be observed, proving the dynamic of humus layer in forest soils. 20 years after recultivation only initial humus forms have developed under pine. 50 years after recultivation mull like moder and a typical moder with little finehumus can be observed under sessile oak and pine, respectively. At sites recultivated 80 years ago, a mor like moder have developed under pine trees. These humus forms are comparable to the humus forms which can be observed at undisturbed sites on fluvio-glacial sands and equivalent vegetation.

Besides the age of the soils, the effect of the forest management, the vegetation and stand development as well as the substrate type on humus form are evident. The influence of base rich dust and ashes originating from the coal processing industry on the humus form can be evaluated with decreasing distance to the factories. Up to date, humus forms developing in ashes of the coal processing industry are not described.

Workshop Humus Forms - Working Group Humusforms

Hardehausen, Ostwestfalen, 6.-8. Juli 2018

The procedure of the description of the humus form varies according to the targeted objective. A form sheet used for the description of humus forms within the National Forest Soils Inventory and a new developed identification key for humus forms were both tested. The form sheet enables a very detailed description of the humus form, with data fields useful scientific information which are not entirely necessary for the deduction of the humus form. The complete description is more time-consuming. The survey with the identification key results in the same humus forms within a shorter time. Testing both procedures indicated, that some changes of the identification key are necessary to improve the accurancy of the outcome.

A general survey of the German stratification of humus forms is downloadable.

Portrait

In 1976 the working group was founded by the German Soil Science Society at the request of Prof. Dr. Mückenhausen. The working group was authorized to stratify the humus forms systematically und to train students and soil surveyors. The first chairman was Ecke von Zezschwitz. At present the group is leaded by Christine Wachendorf (University of Kassel).

The working group is open for interested soil scientists. The working group cooperates with the working group of soil systematics and the ad-hoc-AG-Boden (Bodenkundliche Kartieranleitung) and Arbeitsgemeinschaft Forstliche Standorts- und Vegetationskunde (AFSV)

Rainer Baritz, Günther Trolldenier and Ulfert Graefe
discussing grassland humusforms

Activities

The main aim of the working group is to further develop the german stratification of humus forms based on a pedogenetic background. Basis are diagnostic soil horizons and sequences of soil horizons of humus layer and mineral topsoil. The state of the art is documented on our homepage: www.humusformen.de.

Our second aim is the information and professional training of students and members of the Soil Science Society by workshops and scientific meetings. You find a summary of our previous activities on our homepage (www.humusformen.de /Rückblick).

The recent structuring of humusforms is published at the German Guidelines for Soil description (Bodenkundliche Kartieranleitung, 5. Auflage 2005) und the guidelines for forest site mapping (Forstliche Standortsaufnahme 7. Auflage 2016, IHW Verlag, ISBN 978-3-930167-80-7). A draft of a further devlopement is published on our homepage.

In the revised humus form stratification the soil water regime is considered (humus aeration status: aeromorphic, aero-hydromorphic, hydromorphic). The humus forms are subdivided in sections (main group), classes (subgroup), humus forms (types), humus subforms (subtypes) and varieties as well as the stratification of soils. New diagnostic humus and soil horizons and sequences of soil horizons were specified. The results will be considered also in international classifications of humus forms.

Our recent systematic stratification shows deficits in the description of humus forms of little aerated sites and sites with terrestrial humus forms developing on (drained) peat. Furthermore, the demand of soil quality assessment in open landscape areas is very high but the characterization of humus forms beyond forest is still in a developing status. The humusform group targets to reduce this lack of knowledge.

Cooperation

The working group is open to every member of the German Soil Science Society. The group is co-operating with the German Workig Group on Soil Sytematics, the German Working Group on Soil Surveying (guidelines for soil description).

Every member of the German Soil Science Society interested in humus forms is welcome to attend our working group.

If you have any questions, address our chairwoman Christine Wachendorf (c [dot] wachendorfuni-kassel [dot] de (E-Mail))

Links

German Working Group on Humusforms

German Working Group on Soil Systematics

Contact

Dr. Christine Wachendorf

Section Soil Biology and Plant Nutrition

Facutly Organic Agricultural Sciences

University of Kassel
Nordbahnhofstraße 1a
37213 Witzenhausen

Germany

++495542 98 1504

c [dot] wachendorfuni-kassel [dot] de (E-Mail)

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