Acidification and loss of organic matter in context with soil filtration function

Abstract

One of the most important soil ecological functions is inactivation of soil pollutants. The potential of soil for immobilization of inorganic pollutants is dependent on the total amount of the inorganic pollutants in the soil and the potential of soil sorbents which are sensitive to the pollutants sorption. The minimum data set for assessment of the soil's ability to immobilize inorganic contaminants in soil profile includes the following: total content of inorganic contaminants, pH value, content and quality (optical parameters Q⁴ ₆) of organic matter, humus layer thickness and soil texture. The decline of pH value (acidification) and organic matter content and also deterioration of organic matter quality can bring negative influence and change the sorption potential of soil. Actual changes of dynamic parameters were applied in sorption model in the Banska Bystrica region of Slovakia. The decline of pH and organic matter content as well as the increase of soil organic matter optical parameter shift Fluvisols from medium category into very low category of sorption potential on 3.8% of grassland area. This result shows that soil degradation processes will cause a decline of soil sorption potential. Therefore, optimization of dynamic soil parameters belongs to the very important tasks in soil management.

Keywords:

• soil filtration function
• acidification
• loss of organic matter