Chernozem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chernozem, or Black Earth (from Russian чернозём, black soil) is a black-coloured soil containing a very high percentage of humus — 3% to 15%, and high percentages of phosphoric acids, phosphorus and ammonia. Chernozem is very fertile and produces a high agricultural yield.
There are two "Chernozem belts" in the world: from Northeast Ukraine across the Black Earth Region and Southern Russia into Siberia, and in the Canadian Prairies. Similar soil types occur in Texas. It has a large depth, often more than 40 inches and up to 250 inches (6 metres) in Ukraine.
Chernozemic soils are a soil type in the Canadian system of soil classification and the United Nations' FAO soil classification.
| Canadian | FAO | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Chernozemic | Kastanozem, Chernozem, Greyzem, Phaeozem | Borolls |
| Brown Chernozem | Kastanozem (aridic) | Aridic Boroll subgroups |
| Dark Brown Chernozem | Kastanozem (Haplic) | Typic Boroll subgroups |
| Black Chernozem | Chernozem | Udic Boroll subgroups |
| Dark Grey Chernozem | Greyzem | Boralfic Boroll subgroups, Albolls |
