Processes to form horizons. O Horizon: Decomposition of forest leaf duff material. A Horizon: Microbial activity and leaching from decomposed forest duff. E Horizon: Didn’t observe but should be present based upon soil type/forest composition. Leaching of minerals due to soil acidity. B Horizon: Some movement of minerals up from the C horizon and some leaching down from the A and B horizons. C Horizon: broken pieces of parent material combined with minerals leached from above and water infiltrated from the surface.
Soil history: The plot location is within a patch of mature pine forest behind Delehanty Hall suggesting low to no disturbance of the area with the soil condition mostly natural. Only possible human impacts are from previously dug soil pits but due to the correct layering of the horizons this was not a source of human disturbance. The location near a severe slope and the lack of stumps combined with large, mature trees also shows low to no evidence of logging disturbances upon the area.