Soils of the Gunnarsholt experimental plantation

• Main Authors: Ian B. Strachan, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson, Hólmfríður Sigurðardóttir, Gillian Novoselac
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Jarðvegur í aspartilrauninni í Gunnarsholti; Gunnarsholt; Hekla
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.557.2282; http://www.landbunadur.is/landbunadur/wgsamvef.nsf/8bbba2777ac88c4000256a89000a2ddb/00060aaaa712830b00256de2004a9fe2/$FILE/xxgr-bu12-ian%26oa.PDF

Soil physical and chemical properties were studied for a newly established plantation forest. The soil classifies as an Andisol as it exists in a region prone to periodic volcanic and aeolian deposition. In this paper, two pedons are described. Soil texture is predominantly silty loam with weak structure. The constant influx of material has lead to a rapid thickening of the profile of about 0.6 cm yr–1 this century. Major eruption features (Hekla 1510) and regional erosional episodes (ca 1920, 1880) are identified in the profiles. The soils have Al ox, Si ox and Fe ox typical of Icelandic Andisols with high Fe ox reflecting the basaltic nature of the parent materials. Clay content ranges between 15–20 % based on oxalate extraction. Particle size analysis by hydrometer method