Mineralogy and genesis of selected soils and their implications for forest management in central and northeastern British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Arocena ◽  
P. Sanborn

Soil properties in central and northeastern British Columbia are strongly influenced by parent materials because of geologically young till, glaciolacustrine, and glaciofluvial deposits. We examined pedogenesis on various parent materials to support studies of long-term forest productivity. We sampled nine pedons developed on till (Bobtail, Lucille Mountain, Skulow Lake, Log Lake, Topley, and Kiskatinaw), glaciofluvial (Bowron), and glaciolacustrine (Aleza Lake 1, 2) deposits. The Skulow Lake pedon is distinctive in the occurrence of talc, while the Lucille Mountain pedon has the only clay fraction in which kaolinite is absent. Other pedons on till contain mica, kaolinite, chlorite, smectite, and vermiculite. The Bowron pedon has mica, kaolinite, and chlorite, while the Aleza Lake pedons have mica, kaolinite, chlorite, and 2:1 expanding minerals. In pedons with low amount of 2:1 expanding clays in the C horizon, mica and chlorite appear to degrade into 2:1 expanding clays, while in pedons with C horizons containing 2:1 expanding clays, mica and chlorite seem stable and the formation of hydroxy-interlayered clays is the predominant process. Podzolization and lessivage are major pedogenic processes, while redoximorphic processes are observed in some pedons with illuvial Bt horizons. Significant soil compaction hazards are presented by the medium and fine soil surface textures. Although clay-rich Bt horizons may benefit soil nutrient regimes, conservation of nutrient-rich forest floors is important, given the low S contents in mineral soils. High contents of feldspars in these soils provide a large reserve of nutrients such as Ca and K. Key words: Clay minerals, parent material, podzolization, lessivage

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. García Calderón ◽  
A. Ibáñez Huerta ◽  
G. Alvarez Arteaga ◽  
P. V. Krasilnikov ◽  
A. Hernández Jiménez

Agroforestry is a new practice of sustainable soil use in the mountainous Sierra Sur de Oaxaca area of Mexico. Coffee is also a common cash crop grown in the region. The objective of this study was to investigate the pedodiversity in the area. Soil development is very complex, and is influenced by slope parameters and parent materials. Several soil groups are found in the area investigated: Alisols, Umbrisols, and Cambisols. Morphology, chemical properties, and mineralogical composition of the clay fraction of these soils were studied. The soils vary in the extent of weathering, morphology, and chemical properties, which are important to farming in the area. Most of the soils have heterogeneous parent material. The distribution of major soil types of the area is related to mass movement along the slopes, both past and present. The studied soils represent a chronosequence from unleached and unweathered Cambisols to Alisols, characterized by strong clay illuviation and dominance of kaolinite and gibbsite in clay fraction. A mosaic of landslides and gullies of various ages, formed by catastrophic events such as earthquakes and hurricanes, form the pedodiversity of the area studied. Key words: Landslides, chronosequence, pedodiversity, Cambisols, Umbrisols, Alisols


2019 ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Agim L.C. ◽  
Igwe C.A.

Soil degradation due to water erosion among other causes has been a major problem in southeastern Nigeria, therefore a study was conducted to determine sediment yield, detachment, and runoff from soil under selected parent material in southeastern Nigeria. The objective was to characterize the selected soils in terms of their physical and chemical parameters, carry out rainfall simulation, and to establish some relationships that exist among studied parameters with selected soil properties. Soil samples were collected in three replicates from twenty locations, 5 location each from 4 geologic formations namely Asu River Group, Bende Ameki Group, Coastal Plain Sand and False bedded Sandstone at a depth of 0 – 20 cm using soil auger. Standard laboratory procedures were followed for samples for routine analyses while the rest was subjected to rainfall simulation at an intensity of 190 mm/hr for a period of 30 minutes under dry and wet conditions of the soils. Result showed that significant P<0.05) differences among studied parameters. Sediment yield under wet and dry states ranged from 0.56 - 3.95 kg m-2 hr-1 and from 0.80 - 4.97 kg m-2hr-1. The highest sediment yield under both conditions was recorded at Ishiagu, Bende, Obinze and Okigwe from ARG, BAG, CPS and FBS derived parent materials, respectively. Detachment under both conditions ranged from 0.04 - 0.13 kg m-2hr-1 and from 0.03 - 0.21 kg m-2 hr- . Similarly, runoff ranged from 79.80 - 125.30 mm and 28.00 – 106.90 mm under wet and dry states. Result also indicated a negative relationship between clay fraction and sediment yield (r= - 0.62) under dry and ( r= - 0.27) under wet condition. Conclusively, the study noted that rainfall has great impact on studied soils as higher values of sediment yield and detachment were noted mostly under dry than in wet conditions.


2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 717-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Marsh ◽  
Sabine Nouvet ◽  
Paul Sanborn ◽  
Darwyn Coxson

Grasslands in the rainshadow of the Chilcotin (British Columbia) and St. Elias (Kluane, Yukon) mountain ranges of western Canada are characterized by widely spaced clumps of bunchgrass and sage, between which can be found lichen-dominated biological soil crusts (BSC). Our examination of Chilcotin and Kluane grasslands showed differential BSC development along topographic gradients, favoring those sites with lower levels of soil disturbance. Lichen species richness was greatest in upper topographic positions, that is, on valley side terraces in the Chilcotin and esker slopes in Kluane. Common BSC lichens in both grasslands included Acarospora schleicheri, Caloplaca tominii , Collema tenax , Diploschistes muscorum , Fulgensia bracteata , Phaeorrhiza nimbosa , Placidium squamulosum , and Psora decipiens . Chilcotin BSC additionally contained many Cladonia species (e.g., C. carneola , C. chlorophaea , C. pyxidata ), particularly where vegetation had encroached on BSC. The potential for nitrogen fixation by Collema -dominated crusts in Kluane was examined using acetylene reduction assays (ARA) and soil surface microclimate monitoring. ARA activity was highly dependent upon the duration of wetting events, reaching C2H4 levels up to 63 μmol·m–2·h–1after 40 h of hydration. Given the abundance of Collema-dominated crusts in Kluane and the optimal conditions for ARA activity that are reached during wetting–drying transitions, we hypothesized that BSC communities potentially make an important contribution to ecosystem nitrogen budgets. Enrichment in total and mineralizable N, as well as 15N natural abundance values, was consistent with N fixation making an important contribution to soil N pools in these ecosystems. Both Chilcotin and Kluane BSC had similar spongy microstructures that contrasted with the platy microstructures of the underlying surface mineral soils, but only the latter site showed micromorphological evidence of burial of mosses and other BSC components by continuing loess deposition. BSC may have performed similar roles in analogous steppe-like ecosystems that existed under full-glacial conditions in the unglaciated areas of eastern Beringia in Alaska and Yukon.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 530-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Kranabetter ◽  
A Banner ◽  
A de Groot

The wet, slow-growing forests of western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) and salal (Gaultheria shallon Pursh) on the north coast of British Columbia are characteristically low in available phosphorus (P) compared with more productive forest ecosystems. It has been suggested that declining P availability can eventually limit soil biological activity and restrict nitrogen (N) cycling. We investigated this potential link between P availability and N cycling for three forest types (cedar–salal, hemlock – lanky moss and spruce – sword fern) covering a wide gradient in site productivity. Forest floors (upper 20 cm) and mineral soils (20 cm depth) were collected from five replicate sites of each forest type and incubated for 20 weeks at field moisture content with and without an amendment of NaH2PO4. We found that organic P concentrations of both forest floors and mineral soils were positively correlated to extractable inorganic N concentrations (unamended soils over 20 weeks). The addition of P to the low-productivity cedar–salal soils led to significant increases in extractable inorganic N in the forest floors and mineral soils. P amendments led to either a smaller or nonsignificant increase in extractable N for moderately and highly productive soils. Soil respiration of CO2 and respiration quotients were substantially reduced in forest floors with a P amendment, suggesting N mineralization was governed by exoenzyme allocation rather than decomposition rates. These results demonstrate a possible enhancement in N supplies with an application of P to low-productivity cedar–salal forests.


Author(s):  
Mile Markoski ◽  
Tatjana Mitkova ◽  
Kole Vasilevski ◽  
Zorica Tomić ◽  
Marjan Andreevski ◽  
...  

The paper presents results from the research of the influence of the parent material on the mechanical compo-sition of calcomelanosols, calcocambisols and terra rossa. The contents of the fine soil separates in the calcomelano-sols vary depending on the subtype. The physical sand fraction (coarse sand + fine sand) in the Amo horizon amounts 44.81% in the organomineral calcomelanosols, 40.13% in the organogenic and brownised calcomelanosols 36.52%. In the (B)rz horizon in the brownised calcomelanosols it amounts 32.64%. The content of clay + silt or physical clay in the Amo horizon amounts 55.19% in the organomineral calcomelanosols, 59.87% in the organogenic and the high-est content is in the brownised calcomelanosols 63.48%. The average value of this fraction in the horizon (B)rz in the brownised calcomelanosols amounts 67.36%. In the calcocambisols the average content of the fraction physical sand in the Amo horizon amounts 33.43%, and in the cambic horizon (B)rz 22.50%. In the terra rossa the fraction physical clay is represented with a greater percentage related to the physical sand fraction. In the Amo horizon, in the physical clay fraction, the clay fraction is predominant, average 43.08%, and 52.13% in the cambic horizon, and 24.90% in the Amo horizon and 19.37% in the (B)rz horizon for the silt fraction. From a research soils 36% of the soils are formed on massive limestone, 13% are formed on dolomitic limestone and bituminous marbles, 16% on plate (flat) limestone, 10% on dolomitic marbles and 12% on laminated (plate) dolomite and calcite.


1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. MERMUT ◽  
K. GHEBRE-EGZIABHIER ◽  
R. J. St. ARNAUD

Detailed mineralogy and chemistry of the clay fraction of five glacio-lacustrine deposits and of one Cretaceous marine shale (Ashville) were studied. Fine clay separates (< 0.2 μm) of the five parent materials were predominantly smectite with an average chemical composition:[Formula: see text]X-ray diffraction, dehydration, infrared, and chemical analyses, and the Greene-Kelly test showed that the smectite was an iron rich montmorillonite. Similarities in the crystal structure of the five soil parent material clays suggest that they were likely transported from the same source. Despite the differences in percentage of clay minerals, similarities between chemical composition of the coarse and the fine clays is interpreted as an indication of close diagenetic relationships between the predominant smectite and soil mica. High silicate bound iron may have caused a distortion in the crystal lattice and a slightly favorable weathering condition of smectites. However, presence of high exchangeable and soluble magnesium in the soil complex is likely retarding the smectite alteration. Thus, weathering by elemental substitution may have been restricted to the smectite end member only. Key words: Swelling clay soils, iron montmorillonite, chemical composition of smectites, dehydration of smectites


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Hikmatullah Hikmatullah ◽  
Kesumo Nugroho

Tropical Volcanic Soils from Flores Island, Indonesia (Hikmatullah and K Nugroho): Soils that are developed in tropical region with volcanic parent materials have many unique properties, and high potential for agricultural use. The purpose of this study is to characterize the soils developed on volcanic materials from Flores Island, Indonesia, and to examine if the soils meet the requirements for andic soil properties. Selected five soils profiles developed from andesitic volcanic materials from Flores Island were studied to determine their properties. They were compared in their physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics according to their parent material, and climatic characteristic different.  The soils were developed under humid tropical climate with ustic to udic soil moisture regimes with different annual rainfall. The soils developed from volcanic ash parent materials in Flores Island showed different properties compared to the soils derived from volcanic tuff, even though they were developed from th e same intermediary volcanic materials. The silica contents, clay mineralogy and sand fractions, were shown as the differences. The different in climatic conditions developed similar properties such as deep solum, dark color, medium texture, and very friable soil consistency. The soils have high organic materials, slightly acid to acid, low to medium cation exchange capacity (CEC). The soils in western region have higher clay content and showing more developed than of the eastern region. All the profiles meet the requirements for andic soil properties, and classified as Andisols order. The composition of sand mineral was dominated by hornblende, augite, and hypersthenes with high weatherable mineral reserves, while the clay fraction was dominated by disordered kaolinite, and hydrated halloysite. The soils were classified into subgroup as Thaptic Hapludands, Typic Hapludands, and Dystric Haplustands.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 2316-2322 ◽  
Author(s):  
P T Sanborn ◽  
J Prietzel ◽  
R P Brockley

Sulphur (S) fractions, total nitrogen (N) concentrations, and cumulative net S mineralization of forest floors and surface mineral soils (0-20 cm) were measured 13 years after an S-deficient lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) stand was fertilized (100 kg S·ha–1 + 400 kg N·ha–1) in 1990. Fertilizer treatments compared two S sources: elemental S (S0) and ammonium sulphate (AS). Total S and ester sulphate-S (SO4-S) concentrations and cumulative net S mineralization in forest floors were significantly higher in the S0 treatment than in the control and AS treatment. Except for a slight elevation of extractable SO4-S, such differences were absent in the mineral soils. Total S and SO4-S concentrations in current-year (2002) pine foliage from the S0 treatment were significantly higher than in foliage from the control and AS treatment, while foliar N concentrations indicated that all treatments had caused a return to N-deficiency. These results indicate that prolonged amelioration of S deficiencies in lodgepole pine stands in central interior British Columbia may be possible with single applications of S0.


1962 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Clark ◽  
J. E. Brydon ◽  
H. J. Hortie

X-ray diffraction analysis was used to identify the clay minerals present in fourteen subsoil samples that were selected to represent some more important clay-bearing deposits in British Columbia. The clay mineralogy of the subsoils varied considerably but montmorillonitic clay minerals tended to predominate in the water-laid deposits of the south and illite in the soil parent materials of the Interior Plains region of the northeastern part of the Province.


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