Pedogenesis and Soil Classification in Volcanic Area under the Pine Forest Vegetation in West Java, Indonesia

Melanic and fulvic Andisols are the great groups in the classification of volcanic soils Andisols, which describe the soils with the high organic carbon content in the epipedon. The organic C must be more than 6% in the upper 30 cm with the value and chroma are 2 or less for melanic and more than 2 for fulvic. . Melanic epipedon also has to have the melanic index that is 1.70 or less. The objective of this study was to investigate the melanic and fulvic Andisols in the volcanic soils that developed under the pine forest vegetation from different parent materials and ages of Mt. Tangkuban Parahu (andesitic, Holocene) and Mt. Tilu (basaltic, Pleistocene). The method used was a descriptive comparative survey of three profiles in Mt. Tangkuban Parahu and three profiles in Mt. Tilu. Analyses were done for each horizon in the profiles comprise of the investigation of andic soil properties through the analyses of organic C, bulk density, Al + Fe (ammonium oxalate) and P-retention. The investigations were continued by further calculation of organic C content and by investigation of soil color with Munsell Soil Color Chart. The results showed that the two profiles in Mt. Tangkuban Parahu and two profiles in Mt. Tilu are fulvic Andisol. No melanic Andisols found in both locations. Pine forest vegetation encourage the formation of fulvic Andisols either from andesitic-Holocene parent materials or basaltic-Pleistocene parent materials.