| Chernozem | |
|---|---|
| Chernozemic soil | |
| Chernozem field in Black Dirt Region of Orange County, New York, USA | |
| Used in: | WRB, other |
| WRB code: | CH |
| Profile: | AhBC |
| Parent material: | loess |
| Climate: | humid continental |
Chernozem (Ukrainian: Чорнозем, transliterated: chornozem; Russian: чёрнозем, transliterated: chyornozem; Serbo-Croatian: Чернозем/Černozem, Bulgarian: Чернозем, transliterated: chernozem; meaning: black soil), also known as "black land"[1] or "black earth", is a black-coloured soil containing a high percentage of humus[2] (7% to 15%), and high percentages of phosphoric acids, phosphorus and ammonia. Chernozem is very fertile and produces a high agricultural yield.
Contents |
There are two "Chernozem belts" in the world: from Northern Serbia, northern Bulgaria (Danubian Plain) and southern Romania (Wallachian Plain), to northeast Ukraine across the Black Earth Region and southern Russia into Siberia, and the other in the Canadian Prairies. Similar soil types occur in Texas and Hungary. It has a large depth, often more than 40 inches (1 m) and up to 250 inches (6 metres) in Ukraine. The terrain can also be found in small quantities elsewhere (for example, on 1% of Polish territory). It also exists in Northeast China, near Harbin.
The sale of agricultural land has been illegal in Ukraine since 1992; despite this a black market in farmland there is one of the largest illegal markets in farmland, with approximately $900 million in annual sale.[3]
Chernozemic soils are a soil type in the Canadian system of soil classification and the United Nations' FAO soil classification.
They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the soil. These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately after the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.
| Chernozemic soil type equivalents, in Canadian, FAO, and USA soil taxonomy | ||
| 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 |
| Source: Pedosphere.com. |
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