The Northern Fescue Soils
The predominant soils in the Northern Fescue Subregion are Dark Brown and Black Chernozems, with Brown Solonetz soils extending through the centre of the subregion in a broad band north of Hanna.
Chernozems are a typical prairie soil. They were formed only 100,000 years ago under aerobic conditions where water flowed freely through the upper layers. They were created by the sudden and rapid addition of
organic matter coupled with high
levels of humidity.
If you were to look at a cross-section of a Chernozem, you might see things like earthworm tracks and animal burrows filled in with different types of soils. Animals like these aerated the soils and were crucial in the formation of Chernozems.
Although there are many different kinds of Chernozems, there is very little difference between them.
It is interesting to note that Black Chernozems are formed as a result
of high levels of precipitation in any particular area.
Chernozems are generally dry, and as such, can only support vegetation like tall grasses. Sometimes, though, patches of
deciduous woodlands can grow as well.
Solonetz is a typical prairie soil, like the Chernozems, and they're usually found together. Solonetz soils are most common in areas where the amount of rain is less than the amount of transevaporation from the soil.
As a result, there is usually not enough moisture in the soil to support a complete plant cover. The pH of the soil is also too high to grow much vegetation.
Solonetz soils are believed to have formed during the Holocene
period, and are made up of unconsolidated materials, including glacial deposits. They are confined to flat or gently rolling areas, but are absent from depressions where the water table comes near the surface.