Area of cultivated acid sulfate soils in Finland

Abstract. A database of 1065 fields in all parts of Finland, two soil profiles (augerhole borings) per field, was screened for acid sulfate (a.s.) soils. Each field represented 2100 14;ha of cultivated land. Soil pH and redox potential were determined in the field, at intervals of 10 14;cm, to a depth of 200 14;cm. Of the maximum of 124 profiles considered as a.s. soils according to the Soil Taxonomy and ILRI (International Institute of Land Reclamation and Improvement) systems, 46 profiles exhibited pH <3.5. These represented 48 14;000 14;ha of land. More than half of these severely acidic soils were associated with reduced subsoils and probably contained actively oxidizing sulfidic materials within 150 14;cm of the soil surface, while the remaining profiles were oxidized at least down to 150 14;cm. Using Soil Taxonomy criteria, the total area of cultivated a.s. soils was 67 14;000–130 14;000 14;ha. The minimum estimates exclude soils that may be leached or too low in sulfide to meet the criteria of a.s. soils. Application of the ILRI system produced an estimate of 61 14;000–130 14;000 14;ha. In the maximum estimate, 27% of the profiles were raw, 61% ripe and 12% potential a.s. soils. According to the FAO/UNESCO system, the area of cultivated a.s. soils (pH <3.5 or assumed sulfidic materials) is considerably less: 43 14;000–78 14;000 14;ha. All these estimates are only a fraction of the area considered to be covered by a.s. soils by established Finnish criteria. The choice of estimate has important economic implications for liming subsidies and planning regulations for the drainage of a.s. soils.