Human-Altered and Human-Transported Soils in an Italian Industrial District

In many Mediterranean regions industrial activities have drastically affected soil evolution. As a case study, reference is made to an important Chemical Industrial District of southern Italy (Sardinia). Its setting up and development resulted in the formation of human-altered and human-transported (HAHT) soils, largely through physical-mechanical excavation, transportation and rolling out the original soils (Palexeralfs, Haploxeralfs), as well as mixing and covering them with innocuous artifacts referred to as human-transported materials (HTM). On this basis, research began with a view to evaluating the anthropogenic processes in addition to the main morphological and physical– chemical characteristics of HAHT soils as compared with reference soils (RefS), their pedovariability and the classifcation of HAHT soils through Soil Taxonomy. The anthro-pedoturbation induced by mixing HTM to preexisting- presently buried- soils has dramatically disturbed the “natural” pedogenetic evolution, and driven the pro-isotropic processes leading the HAHT soils to much more simplifed morphology and homogenization of chemical–physical features, with an impressive loss of pedovariability. They currently meet the requirements for a “mantle” classifable as Alfc Xerarents, as an expression of the “entisolization” that induced a taxonomic shift from Alfsols to anthropogenic Entisols.