Some physical properties of mursh developed on limnic limestones in NW Poland

Abstract

Post-bog soils developed on carbonate sediments are closely related to a young-glacial landscape and postglacial lakes. Drainage of biogenic accumulation area leads to a series of transformations in accumulated formations, including the process of decession. The studies conducted in the years 2009-2012 were focused on post-bog soils near lakes: Strzeszowskie, Sitno and Drawskie in Western Pomerania. The examined soils belong to murshic soils and gleysols (The classification of Polish soils). Mursh horizons contained from 0.2 to 43.3% of carbonate and from 27.2 to 77.6% of non-carbonates fractions (Ncf), and varying amount of organic matter depending on the degree of mineralisation. Specific density of surface horizons was in the range from 1.76 to 2.33 Mg·m -3 , and bulk density from 0.28 to 0.68 Mg·m -3 . Higher porosity was found in mursh organic soils in comparison to gleysols. The studies showed that the content of carbonate fraction was related with specific density, bulk density, porosity and water capacity. Obtained results of physical and physico-chemical analysis indicate that dewatering depth of post-bog soils developed on limnic limestone are reflected in worsened water retention properties and reduced capillary ascent in the upper layers of carbonate formations of gleysols.