The Arenosols of Western Rhodopes Mountain (Bulgaria)

The Arenosols of Western Rhodopes Mountain are spread on soft, unconsolidated Neogene and Quateranry modern sediments with a sandy texture and weak structure. New research on their genesis, properties, diagnosis and classification were made on their major diagnostic features. Arenosols profile is typical A–AC–C type with low humus content and relatively lower values of CEC compared with other sandy soils in Bulgaria. Content of the soil particles of sandy fraction is above 80 % and soil texture is sandy or loamy sandy, which is main diagnostic feature for Arenosols classification. The research confirms the criteria for their terrain recognition and new additional data for mountainous sandy soils were established.