Spodosols are low pH, low nutrient, sandy, well drained soils. Not very fertile. Spodosols exhibit the interaction of climate, vegetation, and parent material as important soil forming factors. B. Vegetation - broadleaf, deciduous trees 1. More nutrients concentrated in litter.
Litter decomposes readily to humus.
Less acidic soil solution than spodosols, so clays do not dissociate. Fe, Al, and silicates remain together. They are moved down physically in tact, rather than differentially migrated as component parts. Result is diagnostic accumulation of clay in B horizon. D. Typical profile of Alfisols and Ultisols 1.