Study of Soil Evolution at Different Geomorphic Surfaces of an Elevation-Climatic Profile in Southeast of Ardabil
2021
mohammadi, afshin | Jafarzadeh, Ali Asghar | oustan, shahin | Shahbazi, Farzin
Soil evolution is a combination of geomorphological and pedological processes. In this study, the spatial variation of soil characteristics as well as soil evolution were investigated in different geomorphic surfaces including epandage pediment, erosion pediment, slope surfaces, smooth surfaces, horst, lake deposits, alluvial fan, mountain ridge and circgue in a elevation-climatic profile located in Southeast of Ardabil. For this, field studies and physicochemical as well as clay mineralogical analyses were performed on the samples taken from 12 profiles. The results showed that weathering rate and type of soil forming processes had significant effects on properties and evolution of the identified soils (Vertisols, Mollisols, Inceptisols, and Entisols orders) in different geomorphic surfaces. Smectite, vermiculite, kaolinite, and illite were the major clay minerals of the evolved soils. The relative amount of smectite varied from 78.5% at the epandage pediment to 12.3% at the mountain ridge. Also, statistical comparison of the mean confidence interval for the crystalline iron (Fed-Feo) by Bootstrap method showed a significant difference between geomorphic surfaces in terms of soil evolution. The highest amount of crystalline iron with an average of 6.372 g kg-1 was observed in vertisols of the epandage pediment, while the lowest one with an average of 0.913 g kg-1 was found in Entisols of the alluvial fan. According to Spearman correlation test, crystalline iron had a direct relationship with clay percentage, calcium carbonate equivalent, pH and cation exchange capacity, but inversely related to sand and organic carbon.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by University of Tabriz
