Study of Soil Diversity and Evolution in Different Elevation Surfaces of Western Hillsides of Talesh Mountain

Authors

1 Ph.D student, Department of Soil Science and Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 Prof, Department of Soil Science and Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

3 Assoc. Prof, Department of Soil Science and Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Spatial variability of the soil properties is related to the environmental factors such as climate, topography, parent material and vegetation. Topography causes significant differences in soil properties through the three factors of elevation, natural drainage and slope. This research was carried out to investigate the effect of elevation on some physical and chemical characteristics, type and content of the clay minerals, and finally on the evolution of soils of an elevation profile in Talesh Mountain in Ardabil province. Following excavation and description of five profiles on non-eroded surfaces, physical, chemical and clay mineralogy experiments were performed on the samples. The results showed that weathering intensity and type of pedological processes were different and hada significant effect on some soil characteristics such as clay content, different forms of iron, minerals and soil classification at the different surfaces of elevation. With decreasing the altitude, the amount of illite minerals was reduced but the amount of smectite minerals has increased, which is a reason for the improved weathering and evolution of the soils. The results show that toeslope lands have evolved soils of Vertisols and Mollisols, but highlands have Inceptisols with low degree of evolution. Addition, in the studied elevation profile, as the altitude decreases, the climate becomes warmer and consequently the intensity of pedogenic processes increases.The increase in the amount of crystalline iron (Fed-Feo), as an indicator of soil evolution, from 2303.9­ mg ­kg-1 at the topslope to 7558­ mg ­kg-1 at the toeslope of the mountain illustrates this evolutionary trend.

Keywords


Abasi Kalo G, 2013. Soil development at various geomorphologic units and surfaces based on some indices in Marand Region. PhD Thesis. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, IRAN. (In Persian with English abstract)
Alamdari P, Jafarzadeh AA, Oustan Sh and Toomanian N, 2010. Iron oxide forms and distribution in a transect of Dasht-e- Tabriz soils, Northwest Iran. Food, Agriculture and Environment Journal, 8(3&4): 976-979.
Allen CE, 2005. Physical and chemical characteristics of soil forming on Boulder Tops, Kärkevagge, Sweden. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 69: 148-158.
Anonymous, 2018. Climatic Data. I.r. of Iran Meteorological Organization (IRIMO). Meteorological administration of Ardabil province
Baldock JA and Nelson PL, 2000. Soil organic matter. Pp. 25 -71. In: Malcomner E. Sumner, Handbook of soil science.
Banaei MH, 1998. Soil Moisture and Temperature Regime Map of Iran. Soil and Water Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Iran.
Birkeland PW, 1999. Soils and Geomorphology. 3rd ed, Oxford University Press, New York.
Boye A, and Albrecht A, 2004. Soil erodibility control and soil carbon losses under short-term tree fallows in western Kenya. Bull Réseau Eros 23: 123-143
Brady NC, 1990. The Nature and Properties of Soils, 10nd ed, McMillan Publishing Company.
Buol SW, Hole FD and Mc Crachen RJ, 2003. Soil Genesis and Classification. Iowa State University Press, Ames.
Bybordi M, 1999. Soil Genesis and Classification.8th ed. Tehran University Publications. (In Persian with English abstract)
Chapman HD, 1965. Cation exchange capacity. Pp. 891-901. In: Black CA, (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis, American Society of Agronomy, Madison.
Costantini EAC, Lessovaia S and Vodyanitskii Yu, 2006. Using the analysis of iron and iron oxides in paleosols (TEM,geochemistry and iron forms) for the assessment of present and past pedogenesis. Quaternary International 156–157: 200–211.
Dahlgren RA, Boettinger JL, Huntington GL and Amundson RG, 1997. Soil development along an elevational transect in the western Sierra Nevada, California. Geoderma 78: 207-236
Dolui AK and Bera R, 2001. Relation between iron forms and pedogenic processes in some alfisols of Orissa, India. Agrochimica 45(5):161–170.
Gee GW and Bauder JW, 1986. Particle-size Analysis. Pp. 383–411. In: Klute A, (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Physical and Mineralogical Methods. Agronomy Monograph 9 (2ed). American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
Griffin TS, 2008. Nitrogen availability. Pp. 613-646. In: Schepers JS, Raun WR (eds). Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems. Agronomy Monograph 49. American Society of Agronomy, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI.
Grytnes JA and Beaman JH, 2006. Elevation species richness patterns for vascular plants on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Biogeography 33: 1838–1849.
Hutchins RL, Hill JD and White EH, 1976. The influence of soil and microclimate on vegetation of forested slopes in eastern Kentucky. Soil Sci 121: 234–241.
Jackson ML, 1975. Soil Chemical Analysis-advanced course. University of Wisconsin, College of Agriculture, Department of Soils, Madison, WI
Kämpf N, Scheinost AC and Schulze DG, 1999. Oxide Minerals. Pp. F125 – F168. In: Sumner ME(ed.), Handbook of Soil Science. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Kittrick JA and Hope EW, 1963. A procedure for particle size separation of soils for x-ray diffraction analysis. Soil Sci 96(5): 319-325.
McKeague JA and Day JH, 1966. Dithionate and oxalate extractable Fe and Al as aids in differentiating various classes of soils Can. Soil Sci 46: 13-23.
Mehra OP and Jackson ML, 1960. Iron oxide removal from soils and clays by a dithionite citrate system with sodium bicarbonate. Clays and Clay Minerals 7: 317-327.
Mousavi MH, Mehdizadeh Shahri H and Ghorbani H, 2009. Mineralogy of soils formed on Aghajary formation in Masjed Soleyman and Burge Khajoo province. Journal Science Islamic Azad University. 77: 151-172. (In Persian with English abstract)
Muller RA and Oberlande TM, 1978. Physical Geography Today. A Portrait of a Planet, Random House, New York.
Nelson DW and Sommers LE, 1982. Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter. Pp. 539-577. In: Page AL, Miller RH and Keeney DR, Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties.
Quideau SA, 2002. Organic matter accumulation. Pp. 1172-1175. In: Rattan L (2ed), Encyclopedia of Soil Science. University of alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Rahmani S, Ebrahimi A and Davoudian A, 2013. Generating a vegetation map in mountainous region of Sabzkouh using a digital elevation model. Journal of Range and Watershed Management 66(1): 89-109. (In Persian with English abstract)
Rezapour S, 2011. Study of climatic effects on soil genesis and clay mineralogy in the Western Azerbaijan Province. PhD Thesis. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture , University of Tabriz, IRAN. (In Persian with English abstract)
Rezaei H, Jafarzadeh AA, Alijanpour A, Shahbay F and Kamran V, 2015. Effect of slope position on soil properties and types along an elevation gradient of Arasbaran Forest, Iran. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information 5(6): 449-456
Richards LA, 1954. Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils. Handbook 60 USDA, US Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.
Rode AA, 1984. Genesis of Soils and Present-Day Processes of Soil Formation, Moscow, Nauka.
Schulze DG, 2002. An introduction to soil mineralogy. Pp. 1-34. In: Dixon JB and Schulz DG (eds), Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications, Soil Science Society of America. Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Schwartzman U and Taylor RM, 1989. Iron oxides. Pp. 379–438. In: Dixon JB and Weed SB (eds). Minerals in Soil Environments. Soil Science Society of America. Madison, USA.
Seybold CA, Grossman RB and Reinsch TG, 2005. Preicting cation exchange capacity for soil survey using linear models. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 69: 856-86.
Shahbazi F, McBratney A, Malone B, Oustan Sh and Minasny B, 2019. Retrospective monitoring of the spatial variability of crystalline iron in soils of the east shore of Urmia Lake, Iran using remotely sensed data and digital maps. Geoderma 337: 1196-1207.
Soil Survey Staff, 2014. Keys to Soil Taxonomy. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Torrent J, Schwertmann U and Schulze DG, 1980. Iron oxide mineralogy of some soils of two river terrace sequences in Spain. Geoderma 23: 191-208.
Thompson ML and Ukrainczyk L, 2002. Micas. Pp. 431–461. In: Dixon JB and Schuzele D, (eds). Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications. Soil Science Society of America. Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Vahidi MJ, Jafarzadeh AA, Oustan Sh, Shahbazi F, 2012a. Effect of land use on physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of soils in Southern Ahar. Water and Soil Science-University of Tabriz. 22(1):33-48. (In Persian with English abstract)
Vahidi MJ, Jafarzadeh AA, Oustan SH and Shahbazi F, 2012b. Two physiographic units impact on origin and distribution of extractable iron oxide forms in some soils of southern Ahar. Water and Soil Science-University of Tabriz. 22(2):121-135. (In Persian with English abstract)
Yousefifard M, 2012. Evolution of soils developed on some igneous rocks in semi-arid region in North-east of Iran. PhD Thesis. Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran