Original scientific paper

Water dynamics and physical characteristics of hydromorphic soils in southern Bačka

SAŠA PEKEČ orcid.org/0000-0002-3803-2978 ; University of Novi Sad, Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, Antona Čehova 13, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
BORIS VRBEK ; Department of Ecology, Forest Research Institute, Jastrebarsko Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
SAŠA ORLOVIĆ ; University of Novi Sad, Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, Antona Čehova 13, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
DALIBOR BALLIAN ; University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Forestry, Zagrebaćka 20, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The s tudy presents basic types of hydromorphic soils in a protected area of middle part of the Danube alluvial plain in Vojvodina. The Danube is the largest river in the Republic of Serbia. This is the first river which itself created an alluvial plain through the Pannonian plain. Due to the mild decrease of river bed slope and lateral erosion, which is a characteristic of lowland rivers, it formed a large dry alluvial plain. It was formed during the Holocene by alternating action of fluvial, erosion and accumulation processes.

Materials and Methods: In this study, the following classes of hydromorphic soils in the protected area of alluvial plain of the river Danube were studied: undeveloped hydromorphic soils (fluvisol), semigley soils (humofluvisol) and gley soils (humogley and eugley). Four soil types were examined within the hydromorphic order of soils: fluvisol, humofluvisol, humogley and eugley. The measurements of groundwater level and of the water level of the Danube river were carried out twice a month during the growing season in the period of two years. The distance of piezometers from the Danube was also measured. By each piezometer, apedological profile was established. Its external and internalmorphology was described and soil samples were collected for laboratory testing. Laboratory examination of soil included analyses according to standard pedological methods.

Results: The most important characteristics of the soils are presented in this study. The hydrological and physical characteristics are particularly described, especially the dynamics of groundwater during the growing period in two years, granulometric composition, differential porosity and Darcy’s coefficient. The average groundwater level related to the soil surface varied in fluvisol from258 to 301 cm, in humofluvisol from234 to 260 cm, in humogley from 142 to 167 cm, and eugley from 38 to 51 cm beneath soil surface. The amplitude of the groundwater level variation varied from94 to 120 cmin fluvisol, 138–256 cmin humofluvisol, 105–134 cmin humogley and 43–55 cm in eugley. There was high correlation between groundwater level and the water level of the river Danube.

Keywords

groundwater; granulometric composition; differential porosity; Darcy’s coefficient; Danube River

Hrčak ID:

110819

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/110819

Publication date:

30.9.2013.

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