Soils of Beech Forests in the Moldovan Kodry Hills

摘要

In the northwestern part of the Kodry Hills, within the Central Moldovan Upland, on certain steep slopes disturbed by ancient slumps, small areas of virgin beech stands are preserved. These beech groves are developed on specific intrazonal lithomorphic soils that originated from marly clay. The mineralogical composition of this substrate impedes the development of eluvial-illuvial processes and leaching of carbonates typical of the zonal soils that form under broad-leaved forests. The soils under study belong to the group of rendzic soils and can be referred to as marly rendzinas (or pseudorendzinas).