Brunisolic - Soils of Saskatchewan

Brunisolic

Brunisolic soils in Saskatchewan are Boreal forest soils that primarily develop in sandy glacial sediments under Jack Pine forests. Sand is resistant to transformation by weathering and these soils have undergone very limited soil formation. The diagnostic horizon is the Bm, which has undergone only slight chemical change from the original parent material although it may have a bright red colour compared to the underlying C horizon. In some cases this reddish Bm is overlain by a light gray Ae horizon which has been bleached by organic acids from the coniferous vegetation. The sandy glacial sediments contained little or no calcium carbonate and hence carbonate-rich C horizons are rare in the Brunisolic soils

Great Groups of the Brunisolic Order:

Two great groups of the Brunisolic Order occur in Saskatchewan. Both have a forest leaf litter layer (the LFH horizon), no Ah horizon, and a Bm horizon.

Eutric Brunisolic Soils:

Soils of the Eutric Brunisolic great group occur primarily on glacio-fluvial sand parent materials in Central Saskatchewan south of the boundary with the Canadian Shield. The pH of the soils is neutral or basic (i.e., greater than 5.5). The sand deposits may also occur as small inclusions in glacial till uplands in this region.

Dystric Brunisolic Soils

Dystric Brunisolic soils occur on sandy deposits north of the boundary with the Canadian Shield and are often interspersed with igneous rock outcrops throughout this region. The ph of the soils is acidic (i.e., less than 5.5).

Distribution of Brunisolic soils in Saskatchewan