grassland soil

In grassland soils, the root mass is particularly high. More than three-quarters of plant roots are located in the top 10 cm of soil. Dead roots, root fragments, mycorrhizal hyphae, and root exudates from living plant roots are significant humus-forming components. Therefore, grassland soils are usually very rich in humus. The humus content in the topsoil often exceeds six percent. Groundwater-influenced grassland soils (gley soils, fen soils, peat soils) are especially rich in humus. In fertile grassland soils, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is lower than 12:1. The optimal pH value in the main root zone of grassland soils should be between 5.0 and 6.2. Within this pH range, mineral nutrients are optimally available to grassland plants in a balanced ratio. A crumbly topsoil structure is advantageous because it optimizes water absorption, storage, and infiltration, as well as aeration and root penetration. The mineralogical composition of the parent rock has a significant influence on the soil-borne nutrient supply capacity of grassland soils. Therefore, soils derived from quartz-rich rock (e.g., sandstone, quartzite) are naturally nutrient-poor. Soils derived from mica and/or feldspar-rich rock (e.g., granite, gneiss, mica schist), on the other hand, have a high natural potassium supply capacity. Soils derived from carbonate rock (e.g., limestone, dolomite, marl) contain high levels of calcium and magnesium.