The Cranberry Tree

Sodic Soils

What is sodic soil?  Sodic soil has high amount of sodium ions.  Remember basic chemistry?  Sodium is a 2+ ion.  With high amounts of sodium, there is a lot of positive charge in the soil.  Like charges dispel from one another and this process happens in the soil.  This is called defloccation. BAM!  Soil structure is destroyed.  Look at the picture, do you see natural soil aggregation? No, just powdery soil and white sodium residue. 

How does this affect biodiversity?  Very few plants can grow in sodic soil.  The pore space has been destroyed, leaving plants little air and available water.  It’s is an unwelcome environment.  Actually, when the Romans defeated the Carpathians in BC, the Romans plowed the land with salt so the crops wouldn’t grow.  One of first pesticide uses recorded in history. Salt can have nasty consquences.

Posted at 01:00AM Mar 21, 2009 by Lesley Lubenow in Soils/Land Use  |  Comments[0]