Characteristics of some Hydromorphic Soils in the Inundation of the Middle Course of the Sava River
Corresponding author:
Abstract
The paper presents the properties of some hydromorphic soils in the area of the middle course of the Sava River. The soil is analyzed in the area of the coastal-central part of the inundation, that is the fluvisol loamy form, and the central part of the inundation where the determinated soil is the humofluvisol. The explored area is moistened by flooding of the Sava River during high water levels and by the influence of groundwater permanently at a greater or lesser depth. In relation to the position of the soil in the inundation, the granulometric composition of the investigated soils is differentiated, so in the fluvisols of loamy form we distinguish the textural classes of clay and sandy clay, while in the humofluvisol we have fine granulometric fractions and we find texture classes of clay loam, silty clay loam and clay in the lower part of the profile. According to the soil reaction, these soils are neutral to slightly alkaline, and according to the content of the carbonate the investigated soils are in the class of low carbonate to carbonate soils. The humus content decreases with the depth of the profile, and the surface humus horizon is moderately humus in fluvisol and is very humid in humofluvisol, while the lower parts of the profile are poorly humid. Due to the pedological and hydrological characteristics of the explored area along the Sava River, the coastal-central part of the zone is used for raising the plantations of softwoods, primarily clonal mixtures of black poplar trees, while the central part is also suitable for raising the plantation of hardwoods from the complex of alluvial-hygrophilic forests.
Keywords: hydromorfic soil, inundation, flooding, Sava River