Geostatistical investigation of a reclaimed dumpsite soil with emphasis on aluminum

Spatial heterogeneity of dumpsite soils differs from that of natural soils due to their anthropogenic origin, which makes description of their properties more complicated. In anthropogenic soil of a reclaimed dumpsite in Northern Bohemia, the spatial distribution and interrelations among basic soil properties and two aluminum forms were studied by a combination of factor analysis and geostatistics. Similar distribution patterns were found for soil pH, exchangeable acidity, oxidizable carbon content, pyrophosphate-extractable organic carbon and labile Al. Humus quality parameter (A400/A600 ratio) and Al extractable with sodium pyrophosphate showed different spatial distributions. Ranges of variogram models (spherical with nugget) for most of these variables were between 280 and 290 m; their distribution patterns were related to topsoil reclamation management. In factor analysis, three factors explaining 83.8% of total variation were selected and their interpretation was facilitated by kriging. The first factor accounted for positive effects of soil reclamation, including decreasing soil acidity and labile aluminum content, whereas the influence of afforestation, especially on humus quality and content, was well pronounced in the second factor. The effect of depositing, indicated by elevation, was probably expressed in the third factor influencing aluminum content extractable with sodium pyrophosphate. Geostatistics proved to be useful for anthropogenic soils on reclaimed areas where spatial distribution of soil properties is determined more by human activity than by natural evolution.