Mollisols

Mollisols

MAGESHEN . VR
(2019620012)
 Outline
• Introduction
• Formation
• Characterization
• Distribution
• Pedogenic processes
• Classification
• Land use
• Conclusion
 Introduction
• Mollisol- It is derived from the
latin word Mollis- “soft”.
• They are the soils of grassland
ecosystem.
• When compared to the
percentage land cover of other
soil orders, Mollisols are usually
found to be in 3rd – 6th position
in rank order.
 Climatic conditions:
Semi arid to sub

Parent material:
humid

Limestone, Marl and basalt or

alluvium (decomposition and
accumulation of large amount of
organic matter at the surface)
Formation

to Isohyperthermic)
Wide range (Cryic
Temperature :
Grassland
Vegetation:
 Mollisol formation Processes
Insufficient
Fertile
precipitation
ofthe
organic
soil-
Long term addition
Grassland to soil
leach
materials
bases from the
condition
Mollisol
from plant
soil roots
 General characterization

Well Quite
structured fertile

3 to 10% Montmoril
organic matter lonite clay
Contd…,
Characterization of Mollisol

High base status

Mollic epipedon to considerable
depth

Considerable
High level of
biological activity
native soil fertility
(Earthworms,
(Minimal input for
rodents ) plays an
lime and
important role in
fertilizers)
soil formation

Contd…,
 Characterization- Diagnostic horizons

Epipedon

Mollic epipedon- It is thick (>18 cm),dark-colored,

contains organic Carbon > 0.6%, and has a
base saturation >50%

Endopedon

It is rich in illuviated clay (argillic or Bt), calcareous (Calcic

or Bk) or gypsiferous materials (Gypsic or By) may be
present but are not definitive of the order
Argillic Calcic Gypsic
 Distribution
• Mollisols extend over 916 million ha in the
world, comprising approximately 7% of the
world’s ice-free land surface and accounting for
3.2% of the terrestrial surface and 28.6%
farmland among all of the soil types.
• Mollisols are predominantly observed in Central
USA and secondly in some parts of Russia.
• In India, such soils are dominantly observed in
‘Tarai’ region of Uttar Pradesh and in some
parts of Himachal Pradesh.
 Pedogenic Processes

Melanization

The process of darkening of the soil by addition and

decomposition of organic matter. It is the process by
which the mollic epipedon forms and dark soil colors
extend down into the profile.

Contd…,
 Melanization Process

Mixed-grass short grass

Melanization

Calcification
Other specific processes

Microbial
Extension of roots decomposition of
into soil profile organic materials
into the soil

Humification
(realatively stable,
Bioturbation
dark coloured
compounds)
 Classification
• Based largely on moisture and temperature
regimes, mollisol have been subdivided into
eight suborders viz.
Aquolls,
 Udolls,
 Borolls,
 Xerolls,
Ustolls,
Rendolls ,
Albolls and
Cryolls . Contd…,
 Soil Moisture Regimes
Terminologies Conditions Features
Aquic Waterlogged Gleying and Mottles

Udic High moisture Excessive leaching

Ustic Some plants Drought periods
available water
Aridic Dry Buildup of salts

Xeric Cool Drought

Ustic and xeric both experience drought conditions. In case of

ustic most rain comes in cropping season and deficient during
some parts of the year and xeric deficient during cropping season,
most precipitation comes in winter
 Soil Temperature Regimes
Mean Annual >50 C difference <50 C difference
Temperature at 50 cm between summer between summer
depth(0 C) and winter and winter

<8 Cryic -
<8 Frigid Isofrigid

8-15 Mesic Isomesic

15-22 Thermic Isothermic

>22 Hyperthermic Isohyperthermic

Great groups-37
 Suborders
Sub Moisture Epipedon Endopedon
orders regime
Aquolls Aquic Histic epipedon Calcic or Natric
overlying mollic
Udolls Udic Mollic Cambic or
argillic and
Gypsic
Ustolls Ustic Mollic Argillic or
calcic
Xerolls Xeric Mollic Cambic or
argillic

Contd…,
Sub orders Moisture/ Epipedon Endopedon
temperature
regime
Albolls Aquic Mollic Albic, below
the albic there
is argillic or
natric horizon
Rendolls Cryic Mollic argillic or calcic

Cryolls Cryic Mollic Natric or calcic

or argillic

Gelolls Xeric Mollic Campic or

argillic
Mollisols as from keys to soil taxonomy
Moll
ic
epip
edon

Mollisols

BSP of
50 or
more in
all
depths
above
180 cm
 NOTE…

Almost all Mollisols have mollic

epipedon, but all soils with mollic
epipedon are not mollisols
Mollisols in the islands of the South-West Pacific: Occurrence,
land uses and classification by Morrinson and Leslie (2020)

●
Mollic epipedons are present in many Vertisols, in which
case the plastic, shrink-swell nature of the clay is a more
significant soil property than the mollic epipedon.

●
Also, mollic epipedons are found in the Inceptisols
with acid cambic horizons that more significantly
influence the profile than does the mollic epipedon

●
A few Alfisols and utisols also have mollic epipedons where
nutrient cycling has extensively removed bases from the subsoil
and concentrated them in the epipedon creating BSP<50%
 Soil organic carbon depletion in global Mollisols regions and
restoration by management practices by Xiangru et al.,(2019)
Mollisols

Highly fertile

Intensive Cultivation

Loss of carbondioxide to atmosphere

Global climate change

Mollisols have lost about 50% of their organic carbon (C) pool due
to soil erosion, degradation, and other unsuitable human activities.

Contd…,
 Contd…,

• Practices such as no-tillage, conservatory tillage,

manure and compost fertilization, crop straw
returning, and mulching cultivation should be
followed in mollisol soils to avoid carbon depletion

• The C restoration in Mollisols is a truly win-win

strategy for ensuring the security of food and soil
resources while effectively mitigating global
climate change.
 The soils of Wisconsin. World soil book
series by Bockheim and Hartemink
• It can be assumed that Mollisols have formed
as a result of regular burning (natural or by
humans) so that grassland vegetation
dominates and not woody vegetation
• Burning is not so common and only takes
placed controlled in prairie areas.
• Many soils in Wisconsin have traces of burning
such as charcoal and other black carbon.
 Land use
• These are inherently the best agricultural soils of the
world. In India these soils produce optimum yields
both under irrigated and unirrigated condition with
minimum inputs.
• In iraq, the mollisols represent the wheat belt of the
country. The soils in the drier regions are used mostly
for grazing
Regions Crops
Subhumid wheat, maize and vegetables
Mediterranean Wheat
Tarai Maize and sorghum
Irrigated Condition Vegetables
 Conclusion
• Mollisols are the“stabilizers”of grain security
due to their natural characteristics of high
fertility and high SOC content.
• But in recent years due to intensive
cultivation(higher use of fertilizers) for
increased food production causes extensive
environment damage.
• So there must be a sustainable development
in mollisol soils without negative
environmental consequences.
 Summary
Mollisols
Formation: They have deep, dark, and
Grass vegetation relatively fertile mollic epipedons

Conditions of poor natural drainage and/or

Under Forest calcareous or high base status
parent material.

Occurence Middle latitudes and tropical regions

Pedogenic processes Melanization(main), Humification and

bioturbation(Specific)

Epipedon and Endopedons Mollic epipedon and Presence of Calcic, gypsic,

argillic , natric and cambic endopedons

Eight Suborders Albolls, Aquolls, Rendolls,

Gelolls, Cryolls, Xerolls, Ustolls, and Udolls

Crops grown Wheat, corn, sorghum, millet and soybeans

 References
• Sehgal, J.2005. Pedology concepts and applications,
Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi.
• Buol, S.W., Southard, R.J., Graham, R.C. and McDaniel,
P.A., 2011. Soil genesis and classification. John Wiley &
Sons.
• Bockheim and Hartemink.2017. The soils of Wisconsin.
World soil book series, Madison, USA.
• Morrison, R.J. and Leslie, D.M., 2020. Mollisols in the
islands of the south-West Pacific: Occurrence, land
uses and classification. Geoderma Regional, p.e00264.
• Xu, X., Pei, J., Xu, Y. and Wang, J., 2020. Soil organic
carbon depletion in global Mollisols regions and
restoration by management practices: a review. Journal
of Soils and Sediments, 20(3), pp.1173-1181.
Thank you

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