Soils of the European Union - European Soil Portal - Europa

4.4 AnthrosolsGeographical distributionBased on the SGDBE Anthrosols cover some 3,500 km 2 in the EU, predominantly around Belgium, the Netherlands and, toa smaller extent, in north-west Germany. Anthrosols form associations mostly with Podzols, Gleysols and Arenosols (29times as associated and 15 times as inclusion soils).Based on the 1:1 M scale database all Anthrosols in the EU fall into the Plaggic Anthrosol unit. (Table 4.4, Figure 4.4)Table 4.4 Area of the second level units of AnthrosolsUnits in the Reference Soil Groupin the EUCodes ofsoil unitsArea in the EUkm 2Plaggic Anthrosol ATpa 3427ATpa100%Figure 4.4 Share of the second level soil units in the area of AnthrosolsGlobal referenceThe Reference Soil Group of the Anthrosols holds soils that were formed or profoundly modified through human activitiessuch as addition of organic materials or household wastes, irrigation or cultivation.Plaggic Anthrosols have the characteristic horizon plaggic produced by long-continued addition of `pot stable' beddingmaterial, a mixture of organic manure and earth. The man-made character of the plaggic horizon is evident from fragmentsof brick and pottery and/or from high levels of extractable phosphorus (more than 250 mg P 2 O 5 per kg by 1% citric acid).The formation of most plaggic horizons started in the medieval times when farmers applied a system of `mixed farming'combining arable cropping with grazing of sheep and cattle on communal pasture land. In places, the system was in use formore than a thousand years evidenced by a plaggic horizon of more than 1 meter in thicknessPlaggic and Terric Anthrosols are well-drained because of their thickened A-horizonThe physical characteristics of plaggic and terric horizons are excellent: penetration resistance is low and permitsunhindered rooting, the pores are of various sizes and interconnected and the storage capacity of available soil moisture ishigh if compared to that of the underlying soil material. Mild organic matter in the surface soil stabilizes the structure of thesoil and lowers its susceptibility to slaking. The upper part of a plaggic or terric horizon may become somewhat dense iftillage is done with heavy (vibrating) machinery.Different varieties of Anthrosols are also known as Plaggen soils, Paddy soils, Oasis soils and Terra Preta do Indio.18