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Differentiation of a Spodic Horizon from a Buried A Horizon

Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku Univ., 1-1, Tsutsumidori-Amamiyamachi, Aobaku, Sendai, 981, Japan

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Andisols with a thin ash layer or C horizon are morphologically so similar to Spodosols that there is a danger of confusing the ash layer for an albic horizon or vice versa. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to differentiate spodic horizons from buried A horizons underlying the ash layer or C horizon. The amounts of organic C (OC), pyrophosphate-extractable C (Cp), and fulvic acid C (Cf) were determined in 39 tephra-derived pedons and six nontephra-derived pedons from the USA, New Zealand, Chile, Ecuador, and Japan (117 soil samples). The data indicated that the combination of Cp/OC ratio 0.50 and Cf/Cp ratio 0.50 is a reliable criterion to differentiate the spodic horizons from the buried A horizons not only in tephra-derived soils, but also in nontephra-derived soils.

Received for publication January 23, 1990.