podzol soil formation

Question 1

climate

Answer 1

• high precipitation leads to leaching which is the downward movement of aluminium and iron oxides
• short growing season
• long, cool or cold winters and short mild to warm summers result in slow decomposition

Question 2

organisms

Answer 2

• coniferous trees produce leaf litter consisting of needles and cones which produce an acidic mor humus
• trees have limited roots which means there is no nutrient recycling and a limited absorption of deep leached materials

Question 3

relief

Answer 3

found at all elevations from sea level to the summit of the cairngorms

Question 4

time

Answer 4

forming since the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago

Question 5

parent material

Answer 5

acidic rock such as granite or schists. this is why we have acidic humus. these are weathered and tend to be glacial or fluvial-glacial deposits