THE DISTRIBUTION OF IRON, MANGANESE, AND SCOTLAND ALUMINIUM IN SOME SOILS FROM NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND

Twenty-four soils from north-east Scotland have been subjected to differential extraction techniques to determine the effect of hydromorphism on various Fe, Mn, and A1 fractions. There were pronounced losses of dithionite-extractable Fe and Mn from gleyed horizons, but the 'silicate-Fe’fraction appeared to be relatively unaffected. The oxalate-extractable Fe and A1 fractions also decreased in response to gleying. The ratio of the oxalate- to dithionite-extractable Fe fractions (Fe₀/Fe_d) increased in gleyed horizons, presumably due to variations in the rate of ageing and crystallization of amorphous Fe oxides and hydroxides.