Chuxia Li

HUXI

pyritic;layer;limited;pyrite oxidation;acid;leachin

In the Pearl River Delta with more than 1000 years of intensive land reclamation history,the development of acid sulphate soils has been generally limited in terms of their acid potential (pyrite content)and spatial extent.This is attributed to the rapid delta progradation,partially resulted from increasing sediment yield caused by deforestation within the catchment and the empolderment in the estuarine embayment.The empolderment practice accompanied by the clearance of mangroves stopped the upward growth of the pyritic layer on the one hand and limited the vertical accretion of non-pyritic freshwater sediments over the pyritic layer on the one hand and limited the vertical accretion of non-pyritic freshwater sediments over the pyritic estuarine sediments on the other.In such a case,the pyritic layer in the area is frequently thin and of shallow occurrence.Under forced leaching-recharge conditions for the paddy rice cultivation ,the leaching of acid sulphate materials prevails over its production and this leads to a net loss in pyrite oxidation products.Land excavation for fishpond farming accelerates pyrite oxidation due to the direct exposure of the pyrtic sediments to air on the pond bunds.Severe acidification can intensity the environmental degradation of estuarine ecosystems.