A soil pH below about 3.5 and down to 2 is indicative of strong acid in the soil.

Pyrite (FeS 2) occurs

in some soils and the sulfur is oxidized to sulfuric acid. Soils containing strong acid may produce a
toxicity of both aluminum and iron; the soil may be too acid for plant growth. These soils are
called acid sulfate soils or cat clays, and they tend to form in mangrove swamps along saltwater
beaches (see Figure 11.9). Sometimes the tailings from mining operations contain pyrite, and the
formation of sulfuric acid and low pH make reclamation and revegetation of such materials difficult.
Studies have shown that the actual concentrations of H+ or OH - are not very important, except
under the most extreme circumstance. The associated chemical or biological environment of a
certain pH is the most important factor. Some soil organisms have a rather limited tolerance to
variations in pH, but other organisms can tolerate a wide pH range. The effects of limestone gravel
from an old roadway on the growth of red pine and white cedar trees is shown in Figure 11.10.
shows that iron and manganese are most available in highly acid soils. Manganese toxicity may
occur when soil pH is about 4.5 or less. High levels of exchangeable aluminum in many acid subsoils
of the southeastern United States cause high levels of solution aluminum and restrict root growth.
Plants, and even varieties of the same species, exhibit differences in tolerance to high levels of
aluminum, iron, and manganese in solution and to other factors associated with soil pH. This gives
rise to the pH preferences of plants.