Podzolization in a Sand Pit in Northern Michigan

A study of podzolization during early soil development was conducted in a sand pit. The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of podzolization under jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and red pine ( Pinus resinosa Ait.) planted on C horizon material in the pit and to compare them with the undisturbed soil adjacent to the pit. The E, Bs, and C horizon materials were analyzed for organic matter (OM) by loss‐on‐ignition and optical density of the ammonium oxalate extract (ODOE), Al and Fe by ammonium oxalate extraction and plasma emission spectroscopy, pH, and color. After only 40 yr, soil colors indicated that there was evidence of eluviation and illuviation. Organic matter increased and pH decreased in surface horizons whereas, Al and to a lesser extent Fe showed indications of translocation. The Bs horizons that formed under jack pine tended to have more Al, Fe, and OM and higher ODOE values than those that formed under red pine. Podzolization was more visibly evident than chemically evident in the pit pedons. We classified four of the six pit pedons as Typic Udipsamments and the other two as Spodic Udipsamments and the two control pedons as Entic Haplorthods.