Technogenic soils – soils of the year 2020 in Poland. Concept, properties and classification of technogenic soils in Poland

Abstract

The Soil Science Society of Poland has elected technogenic soils to be the Soils of the Year 2020 to highlight the growing understanding of the functions of human-created or signifi cantly human-transformed soils in urban and industrial agglomerations, inhabited by the majority of the human population. Technogenic soils differ greatly in their morphology and physicochemical properties, depending on the kind/way of human intervention and the anthropogenic parent material. Thus, technogenic soils may either form highly productive horticular or park habitats, or unproductive or even toxic sites, which urgently require remediation. This introductory paper presents (a) a history of defi ning and classifi cation of technogenic soils in Poland, (b) present concept of technogenic soils in the Polish Soil Classifi cation and crucial diagnostics, and (c) a brief review of the subtypes and varieties of technogenic soils, including their recognition in formerly published research reports and correlations with the FAO-WRB classifi cation. The Polish Soil Classifi cation has extended the soil defi nition to allow classifying soils on buildings and other constructions, and has defi ned artefacts, geomembrane, hard technogenic layer, thick dumped material and deep soil mixing - new diagnostic properties important for distinguishing and classifi cation of technogenic soils. The type of Technogenic soils includes seven principal subtypes, i.e., Ekranosols, Urbisols, Industriosols, Edifi sols, Constructosols, Aggerosols, and Turbisols, as well as three supplementary subtypes, i.e., humus, gleyed and stagno-gleyed.