Soil of the year 2008

Brown forest soil is the soil of the year. As an example, brown forest soil from the Waldviertel has been proposed this year by the Austrian soil experts A. Pehamberger, Grad. Eng., and H. Bauer, Grad. Eng. Brown forest soils can be found all over the world.

Brown forest soils show an ideal sequence of profiles. The A-horizon rich in humus is succeeded by a brownish yellow B-horizon, and finally the primary material, the C-horizon. In the plains they are found in sands, mainly beside the podsol, and in clay, mainly beside para-brown earths and black earths. In the highlands, they often have come into existence from sandy to loamy soil fluction with stones. There, they occur at the same time with ranker soils or rendzine, which are lacking the B-horizon. Frequently, brown forest soil is found in natural deciduous forests. Fertile brown soils in depth provide for richest harvests as agriculturally used soils in favorable climatic areas, for instance the Austrian foothills of the Alps.

The campaign „Soil of the Year“ shall make more people feel the „Earth beneath their feet“.

For further information: Soil of the Year