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Chernozem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chernozem, or Black Earth (from Russian чернозём, black soil) is black-coloured soil that contains a very high percentage of humus — 3% to 15%, rich in phosphoric acids, phosphorus and ammonia. It has a large depth, often more than 40 inches, up to 250 inches (6 metres) in Ukraine. Chernozem is very fertile and does not require any fertilizing. Because of that it is often considered to be the best kind of soil for cultivation.
There are two "Chernozem belts" in the world: from Northeast Ukraine across the Black Earth Region and Southern Russia into Siberia, and in the Canadian Prairies. Similar soil types occur in Texas.
Chernozemic soils are a soil type in the Canadian system of soil classification and the United Nations' FAO soil classification.
| Canadian | FAO | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Chernozemic | Kastanozem, Chernozem, Greyzem, Phaeozem | Borolls |
| Brown Chernozem | Kastanozem (aridic) | Aridic Boroll subgroups |
| Dark Brown Chernozem | Kastanozem (Haplic) | Typic Boroll subgroups |
| Black Chernozem | Chernozem | Udic Boroll subgroups |
| Dark Grey Chernozem | Greyzem | Boralfic Boroll subgroups, Albolls |
Terra preta and Dark earth.
