Lithogenesis and hydrogenesis in pădurea craiului mountains

One of the most important pedogenetic processes, as lithogenesis and hydrogenesis, lead the evolution of soils from many mountain areas. The researchers were performed on a slope located in the northern part of Pădurea Craiului Mountains of the Romanian Western Carpathians. The soil sequence includes Cambisols located in the upper part of the slope (P1) and Stagnosols located down slope (P2). The studied soils were characterized by the aim of micromorphological, physical and chemical analysis. The data showed that lithogenesis lead the evolution of the soils located in the higher part of the slope, throughout Districambosol Litic (SRTS-2012), very acid (pH 4.75 – 4.95), but with a low content of Al (1.17 – 2.03 me/100 g soil) due to the location on the landscape. The weathering of the rock fragments present in all the profile horizons was influenced not only by the microorganisms and roots exudates, but also by the mezofauna (activity and coprolites). The hydrogenesis lead the genesis of the soils located on the lower part of the slope throughout Stagnosols Albic Clinogleic (SRTS-2012), generating many types of redoximorphic features. Hydrogenesis, together with the acidity of the parent material leaded the soil pedogenesis through an acid and hydromorphic soil with a low and specific biodiversity.