| Abstract: | Soil development in the surrounding of oligotrophic mires in the Berlin region Polygenetic soils, surrounding oligotrophic kettle hole mires in the valley and aeolian sand areas of the Berlin region, were investigated. The typical soil catena is formed by the sequence of Ombric Histosol (Niedermoor), Ombric Histosol/Albi‐gleyic Podzol (Moor‐Podsol‐Gley), Albi‐gleyic Podzol (Nasspodsol‐Gley), Gleyic Podzol (Podsol‐Gley), and Dystri‐gleyic Arenosol (Gley‐Podsol‐Braunerde) (German soil classifications in parenthesis). Field and laboratory work showed, that the investigated soils were strongly related to each other and that their development depends on the trophy of the mire and groundwater fluctuations during the Holocene. Compared with the Bh‐horizon of terrestrial soils the Gh‐horizon is nearly free of Fe and Mn, but very rich in pedogenic Al‐oxides and rich in organic matter. The genesis of the soils is explained as follows: 1. The development of different Gleyic Podzols was due to rise of groundwater. Consequently the Bh and Bs horizons of Podzols surrounding the mire were converted to Gh and Gr horizons. 2. Humic substances and Al in the Gh and Gr horizons were not re‐mobilized due to the rise of groundwater, whereas Fe and Mn were reduced and removed by groundwater. 3. At the periphery of the mire Fe was enriched in the Go horizon of the Gley‐Podzols but not Mn. 4. The fact that the mire is completely surrounded by Podzol‐Gleys, indicates, that movement of the groundwater from the central parts of mires towards the periphery is an essential pedogenetic factor. |
