HUMAN-INFLUENCED SOILS FROM AN IRON AND STEEL WORKS IN NAPLES, ITALY

The study of soils formed by human activities is one of the concerns o f modern pedology. In Italy, data on highly human-disturbed soils are not available. We investigated the soils from a recently dismantled ir on and steel production plant, and compared them with natural soils in undisturbed adjacent areas. The industrial activity in question start ed 80 yr ago. The dominant morphology of the disturbed soils results f rom the stratification of materials used in and derived from the indus trial process, which were variously mixed with earthy materials. Layer s with variable thickness occur up to the 2-m depth. The spoil layer s equence is rarely interrupted by an applied natural soil, or in situ f ormed horizons, indicating the continuity of material deposition. Natu ral subsurface primary horizons are either obliterated or highly distu rbed. We also recognized highly disturbed soils without significant sp oil materials. All soils show high variability in their characteristic s. They also have morphological and chemical features, such as horizon ation, pH, organic C and total N content, distinctly different from th ose of natural soils. Problems emerged in classifying the investigated soils consistently with the current requirements of the U.S. soil tax onomy. To overcome such difficulty, we propose the adoption of the fou ndric subgroup of the Xerorthents. Such soils mag be of interest in th e discussion of the International Committee on Anthropogenic Soils (IC OMANTH), which is charged with studying and defining criteria for an a ppropriate taxonomic classification of highly human-influenced soils.