Nearctica - Biomes - Eastern Deciduous Forest

Soil Conditions

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Some students of tree biology will tell you that the study of tree biology is almost the same thing as the study of soils. Certain species of trees do best of certain types of soils. Soils differ in the their physical and chemical properties. Soil types can change rapidly with distance on the local level and can produce a patchwork of different forest types. Some of the variety of soil types and the forests they produce are discussed below.
Rich Loamy Soils
Rich Bottomland Soil in Maryland	Rich loamy soils are usually found in flat or low lying areas. The soil is a blackish or black-brown color and is rich in organic matter (humus). The soil is home to a wealth of fungi and soil invertebrates who convert the organic matter into nutrients and aerate the soil in the process. Nutrients are rich and the aeration of the soil promotes the retention of water. Some of the most magnificent of our deciduous forests are found on rich loamy soils. If the forest is old, some of the trees may be majestic in size and height. Mature forests on these soils are often open and easy to walk through beneath the closed canopy.
Sandy Soils
Sandy Soil with Pitch Pine on Cape Cod Sand Pine in central Florida	Soils composed completely of sand or sand mixed with dirt are found scattered throughout the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Special concentrations of sandy soils are found along the coastlines such as Cape Code in Massachusetts, Long Island, and the Pine Barrens Region of southern New Jersey. Sandy soils drain very rapidly and water is at a premium. The amount of water available to trees and other plants depends both upon the amount of rainfall during the year and how well the soil retains the water. Sandy Soil is terrible at retaining water. Sandy soils are also very nutrient deficient. Sandy soils are often associated with pines. The sandy soil regions of the middle and nothern regions of the Eastern Deciduous Forest (such as the New Jersey Pine Barrens) are dominated by Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida). In the southern regions of the Eastern Deciduous Forest other species of pine are found in sandy soils. The top picture on the left is a sandy soil region of Cape Code covered with shrubs and scrubby individuals of Pitch Pine. Not all areas of Pitch Pine are this scrubby and the Pitch Pines can be well developed in areas such as the New Jersey Pine Barrens. *The Bottom Picture on the left is a sandy soil region in central Florida. The white on the ground is sand, not snow. The dominant tree species here is Sand Pine (Pinus clausa).*
Rocky Soils
A Rocky Outcropping along the Potomac River in Virginia with Pine and Oak	A variety of rocky soils are found on hillsides and other regions of exposed rock throughout the Eastern Deciduous Forest. The dominance of the rocks leads to a thin layer of soil deficient in organic nutrients. If the rock is limestone the soil may be akaline as well. Water drains rapidly in such areas because of the rocks and because these soils are usually found on slopes. The arid nature of the soils and the lack of nutrients leads to forests dominated by small trees dominated by pines, oaks, hickories, and junipers.
Red Clay (Ultisols)
Red Clay Soil with Pine in Mississippi	Red clay soils (technically known as ultisols) are found in parts of the southeastern United States. These soils are heavy in clay and often stained rusty red or yellow because of iron or aluminum oxides. The picture on the left is of a road cut taken in Georgia and clearly shows the typical red color. Ultisols are acidic and dominated by clay. They are deficient in nutrients and poorly aerated. Red clay soils are often covered with thick stands of various species of southern pines.