Genesis of a Xeralf on feldspathic sandstone, South Australia

A Xeralf on feldspathic sandstone was sampled from a hillslope in the Mount Lofty Ranges in order to study its genesis and, in particular, the origin of the strong texture contrast. Micromorphological study demonstrated that the clay present in void argillans and papules in the B2 horizon accounted for only a small amount of the clay present. Elemental analysis of the whole soil (< 2 mm) and sand, silt and clay fractions showed that there had been considerable weathering of both quartz and microcline, which were the dominant minerals present. Kaolinite is the dominant clay mineral weathering product. Illite appears to be forming from vermiculite in the A horizon. Using zircon as an internal standard, it was shown that elemental losses of SiO₂ and reductions in weight and volume were similar in A and B horizons. Losses of aluminium and potassium were greatest in the A horizon, least in the B3. There has been an absolute increase in the amount of iron. A possible source is iron from heavy mineral bands upslope. It was concluded from the similarity of the quartz particle-size distributions of the A2, B2 and B3 horizons that the intensity of weathering of quartz was the same in A and B horizons. In the case of feldspar (mostly microcline), there is a greater proportion of feldspar in the fine sand and silt fractions of the A2 horizon than in the B horizon. Weathering of feldspar is greatest in the A horizon. The texture profile is principally a function of greater lateral loss of clay from the A horizons compared to the B horizons.     

Size and charge characteristics of kaolinitic soils in SE Queensland

Some kaolinitic soils derived from basaltic material contain 2:1 minerals as a discrete phase and/or interstratified with kaolin as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and by chemical analysis of DCB-treated clays, while others show little or no evidence of 2:1 minerals. Mineral impurities were not detected by electron diffraction in the latter group. There is good agreement between the interpretation of XRD traces and the SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio given by chemical analysis. Some kaolin is seen by electron microscopy to be of very small particle size, and two distinct morphological types have been recognized. High surface area measurements are consistent with fine particular size. These profiles contain kaolin with higher than normal CEC and permanent negative charges which cannot be accounted for by the presence of 2:1 clay minerals alone and which are attributed to a degree of isomorphous substitution. This substitution and/or mineral impurities may have limited kaolin crystal growth during neoformation.     

Metal-humus complexes in A horizons of Thai and Korean red and yellow soils

Carbon, Al and Fe (C_pyr, Al_pyr and Fe_pyr) were extracted with 0.1 m Na₄P₂O₇ from 26 A horizon samples of tropical Thai and temperate Korean soils (Ultisols, Alfisols, Oxisols and Inceptisols). The soils, except for one Thai Inceptisol, had similar total C (0.35–3.29%) and C_pyr/total C ratios (0.20–0.41). There were approximately linear relationships between total C or C_pyr and clay content; two groups of soils gave different linear relationships. A curvilinear relationship between C_pyr and (Al + Fe)_pyr (milli-atom kg⁻¹) that can be approximated by an equation: C_pyr= 53 (Al_pyr+ Fe_pyr)^1/2– 24 was also found for most Thai and Korean soils. The above relationships indicated that total C and C_pyr would be close to zero at zero clay or zero (Al + Fe)_pyr. It was inferred that clay-humus interaction has a primary importance in the determination of humus content in red and yellow soils in tropical and temperate regions and that the main role of clay is to supply Al and Fe that complex and stabilize humus against microbial degradation.     

Crystallinity of soil kaolinites in relation to clay particle-size and soil age

The crystallinity of soil kaolinites as a function of clay particle-size and soil age was investigated in soil chronosequences of the Shingle House Creek and Hawkesbury River alluvial terraces in south-eastern Australia. The youngest soils (late Holocene) in each sequence are texturally uniform Entisols containing kaolinite and illite. The oldest soils (Pleistocene to late Tertiary) are Ustalfs with strong textural differentiation and are predominantly kaolinitic. With increasing age, textural B horizons are increasingly enriched in kaolinite and in particles of fine clay (< 0.2 μm) size. In two sub-fractions of the fine clay (0.2-0.06 μm; < 0.03 μm), no corresponding changes were observed in the crystallinity of kaolinites (as measured by the index, C _k) with age. However, values of C _k were significantly higher in the coarse clay (2-0.2 μm) than for both fine clay fractions in all except the Ultic Paleustalf of the oldest, possibly late Tertiary, terrace of the Hawkesbury River sequence. In this soil, C _k values are low in all three clay-size fractions.
In these sequences, the effects of both clay particle-size and soil age were identified in the crystallinity of kaolinites. Disorder as a result of pedogenesis, however, was associated only with the most prolonged weathering and the strongest soil textural differentiation.     

Composition and properties of poorly ordered minerals in Welsh soils. I. Composition

Eleven horizons of acidic soils in mid-Wales developed from Lower Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks were examined. Selective extraction of Al and Si provided evidence against the occurrence of significant quantities of poorly ordered Al-silicates. Fe₀ was weakly correlated with Al₀, but very closely correlated with Al₀ minus Al extracted by cold 5% Na₂CO₃, implying that poorly ordered Al occurs in part as a substituent in Fe oxide and in part in a form unassociated with Fe oxide. Support for this was obtained by analysis of oxide fractions concentrated from aqueous suspensions by sequential ultracentrifugation and through the examination of synthetic Al-substituted Fe oxides. Fe oxide containing Al substituted at an almost constant level was the dominant constituent of the poorly ordered fraction in four of the five Bs horizons examined. The occurrence of Al in this form is an important mechanism by which Al is retained in aerobic but highly acidic Bs horizons.     

Depth-related variations in organic matter at the molecular level in a loamy soil: reference data for a long-term experiment devoted to the carbon sequestration research field

Three lipid fractions, namely the freely extractable fraction and those associated with humin and humic acid fractions, were obtained from the loamy soil of a carefully maintained long-term experiment located on Deffend ORE field, Poitiers, France. The analyses showed differences in molecular distribution, suggesting different sources and diagenetic states of the source material. Despite a major input of plant material to the soil organic matter, intensive bacterial activity was suspected. Most distributions suggested an increase in the microbial/terrestrial lipid ratio from the free to humin to humic fractions. Molecular evidence of fungal activity, especially in the top layer, was also found in the distributions of n -alkanes and n -alkanoic acids. In the surface horizon A₁ alkanes were the major compounds, followed by n -alkanoic acids and sterols. The degraded horizons, poorer in organic matter, i.e. the A₂ and B horizons, were dominated by long-chain (>C₂₀) n -alkanoic acids with a strong even-over-odd predominance and C₂₄ and C₂₆ n -alkanols. Sterols had been removed from these horizons through degradation. A comparison of humic acid and humin composition on the basis of Py(methylation)-GC-MS showed that the two fractions produce partly similar pyrolysis products. Most prominent were molecules from plant and microbial carbohydrates, lignin building blocks and linear aliphatic (carboxylic acids, esters) and nitrogen compounds. The investigation showed that while low-molecular-weight soil lipids were highly dominated by compounds derived from the overlying vegetation, pyrolysis data from the corresponding high-molecular-weight fractions reflected the incorporation of microbial biomarkers into the humic-type fractions.     

Particle size and free iron oxide distribution in some latosols and groundwater laterites of Ghana

The distribution of particle size and Na-dithionite-extractable (di-Fe₂ O₃) and NH₄-oxalate-extractable (ox-Fe₂O₃) iron oxides were investigated in twelve soil profiles representing latosols and groundwater laterites. Soil profiles studied were selected from the major ecological zones of Ghana. The pattern of distribution of free Fe₂O₃ was closely related to that of clay (< 2μ) in soil profiles of the humid forest zones where clay content was more than 40% in the B horizons. In soil profiles of the relatively dry savannah zones with less than 40% clay in the B horizon, the pattern of distribution of free Fe₂O₃ was closely related to that of silt (2–20 μ). The amount of free Fe₂O₃ in the soils appeared to be related to kind of parent rock or parent material and to climatic factors operating in the various ecological zones. Using the amount of di-Fe₂O₃ in the B horizon as a basis for assessing the relative degrees of pedogenesis in soil profiles developed from the same kind of parent material, it was concluded that soil profile development had progressed most in the rain forest zone. Free Fe₂O₃ was considered as having reached an advanced stage of crystallinity or aging in most of the soils because of the low ox-Fe₂O₃/di-Fe₂O₃ ratios in the solums of most of the soil profiles. Soils studied were placed in the ferrallitic and ferruginous soil classes of D'Hoore. The great soil groups could not be characterized by depth function curves of free Fe₂O₃. However, it was proposed that the relative amounts of di-Fe₂O₃ in the B horizons of the soil profiles could be used as a basis for classifying these soils at the family level.     

Effects of sorbed orthophosphate on zinc status in three soils of eastern Canada

P-Zn interactions can affect fertilizer use and produce Zn deficiencies with certain crops. Phosphorus-Zn sorption-desorption reactions were studied in topsoil and subsoil samples from three Quebec soils. Soils were equilibrated with P solutions, then with Zn solutions, and finally with solutions containing no P or Zn. The first equilibration evaluated P sorption (P_s), the second evaluated Zn sorption (Zn_s) after P sorption (P_s), and the third evaluated Zn desorption (Zn_D) as related to added P. Subsequently, Zn fractions were extracted sequentially with KNO₃ (Zn _{kno 3}), NaOH (Zn_NaOH) solutions and concentrated HN0₃+ H₂0₂(Zn_HNO,).
One mmole sorbed P resulted in increases of 0.5 to 1.0 meq (mean = 0.72) increases in cation exchange capacity (CEC). Increased Zn_s with added P was equivalent to 4 to 5% of the increase in CEC induced by P_s in the Uplands (sand) and St. Bernard (loam) soils, and 0.4 to 0.9% in the Dalhousie (clay) soils, while one meq increase in CEC resulted in 1.5-3.5% decrease in Zn_D. There existed positive correlations between P_s and extractable soil Fe materials. Phosphate sorption enhanced associations between Zn_s, Zn_D or Zn fractions and soil organic or crystalline Fe contents, confirming that P addition increased specific sorption of Zn on Fe components. Other mechanisms including precipitation, P-induced negative charge and 'bridge' effects are also discussed.     

Contrasts in the physical properties of three soils of an Alfisol catena in Sri Lanka

Abstract. The agricultural implications of differences in soil physical properties along an Alfisol catena were evaluated. The properties studied were steady infiltration rate, saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K s), available water capacity, bulk density, field air capacity and soil texture. The catena consisted of Rhodustalfs, Haplustalfs and Tropaqualfs. A significant increase in clay content downslope was the major factor influencing the changes in associated soil physical properties. Steady state infiltration rate decreased significantly downslope. The Rhodustalfs occurring at the crest showed a steady infiltration rate of 1.91 cm/h which is optimum for surface irrigation. This decreased to 0.68 cm/h in the Haplustalfs and to 0.29 cm/h in the Tropaqualfs at the bottom of the catena; the last showing suitability for rice cultivation. K s decreased downslope showing poor soil drainage and aeration in lower horizons of the Haplustalfs and Tropaqualfs. Available water increased downslope from 97 mm/m in the Rhodustalfs to 106 mm/m in the Haplustalfs and 122 mm/m in the Tropaqualfs. These results indicate the importance of the catena approach for soil characterization when planning agricultural projects.     

The Role of Soil Mineralogical Characteristics in Sustainable Soil Fertility Management: A Case Study of Some Tropical Alfisols in Nigeria

The pedogenic horizons of nine profile pits dug across three toposequences were studied to determine the soil mineralogical characteristics and its implications on sustainable management of the fertility of some tropical Alfisols in Nigeria. Results showed that the epipedon which were predominantly ochric had textures that ranged from sand to sandy loam, while the subsurface (B/Bt) horizons had sandy clay loam to sandy clay texture and were gravelly (31.79–83.04%). The soil reaction ranged from strongly acid to neutral (pH 5.10 to 7.05). Calcium and magnesium dominated the exchange sites and accounted for about 75% of the exchangeable bases. Illite/mica and kaolinite were the dominant minerals in the clay fractions, while quartz, mica, and feldspars dominated the fine sand and silt fractions of the soils. While the presence of illite and mica could be important for potassium nutrition in these soils, kaolinite and oxides of iron could also cause phosphorus fixation.     

Carbon mineralization in soil size fractions after various amounts of aggregate disruption

Aggregates (1–2mm) were subjected to shaking, increasing intensities of ultrasonification, or a peroxide treatment and then physically fractionated into sand-, silt- and clay-size fractions. CO₂ evolution was measured during a 20-day incubation of the sand-, silt- and clay-size fractions and was used to assess the decomposability of the organic matter within aggregates and associated with these size fractions.
All of the size fractions showed a large increase in the amount of readily decomposable C when the ultrasonic energy input increased from 300 to 500 J ml⁻¹ and disruption of microaggregates occurred. The data suggest that some readily decomposable organic matter is sequestered within microaggregates and protected from microbial attack.
Following complete dispersion, the C mineralized (mg C g⁻'C) upon incubation was greatest in the sand particles and least in the clay. The levels of potentially mineralizable C ( C ₀) in the sand-size fraction increased with increased dispersion energy whereas the mineralization rate (k) remained about the same. The levels of C₀ in the clay-size fraction decreased and the estimates of k increased abruptly upon the disruption of micro-aggregates.     

Soil micro- and mesopores studied by N2 adsorption and Xe NMR of adsorbed xenon

N₂ adsorption (77 K) was combined with ¹²⁹Xe nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of adsorbed xenon to characterise soil meso- (2–50 nm) and microporosity (<2 nm). Materials from the Alh and Bt horizons of a Luvisol, the Go horizon of a Gleysol and the Bvs horizon of a Podzol were analysed. Additionally, we examined samples obtained by mixing of H₂O₂-treated soil fractions with organic soil material (“soil + organic matter” samples). N₂- specific surface areas (S_BET) and micropore volumes (V_micro) and areas (S_micro) were markedly affected by the presence of iron oxides in soils. Their removal with dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) treatment was accompanied by a significant decrease in S_BET and almost complete disappearance of the micropores. The organic carbon (OC) content decreased by 10–35% after the DCB-procedure showing that a certain proportion of the soil organic matter was extracted together with iron oxides. This may point to a close association between carbon compounds and iron oxides, possibly by incorporation of low molecular weight organic compounds into the phase of iron oxides. Such interactions are expected to contribute to the stabilisation of organic carbon in soils. Indeed, as compared to the top horizon (Alh of Luvisol), a higher proportion of organic matter was co-extracted with iron oxides from the subsurface horizons (Bt of Luvisol, Go of Gleysol) characterised by higher amounts of organic carbon resisting oxidation with H₂O₂. Examination of the mixed “soil + organic matter” samples supports that after addition, organic molecules occupy micropores (evidenced by N₂ adsorption) and narrower mesopores of the mineral matter (evidenced by ¹²⁹Xe NMR).     

Spatial distribution of carbon over an eroded landscape in southwest Wisconsin

Spatial distribution of carbon (C) within a soil profile and across a landscape is influenced by many factors including vegetation, soil erosion, water infiltration, and drainage. For this reason, we attempted to determine the soil C distribution of an eroded soil. A three-dimensional (3D) map of a 0.72 ha field with a Dubuque silt loam soil which has three levels of erosion (slight, moderate, and severe) was developed using soil distribution and profile data collected using a profile cone penetrometer (PCP). This map displays the distribution of the total depth of the Ap and Bt1 horizons and the upper part of the 2Bt2 horizon. A map of soil C distribution was created for this landscape using C content information obtained from soil samples. Based on the C distribution in the upper two horizons, a 3D viewing was developed of soil C distribution for this eroded landscape. The 3D assessment of C distribution provides a better means of assessing the impact of soil erosion on C fate. It was estimated that there were 52 Mg ha⁻¹ of total C in the surface (Ap) horizon and 61 Mg ha⁻¹ in the Bt1 horizon for the 0.72 ha area. This increase in C with depth in the soil can be attributed to an increase in clay content and C leaching resulting in stable carbon–clay complexes. The C content was 16.0, 17.5, and 19.0 g kg⁻¹ for the Ap horizon in the slight, moderate, and severe erosion levels, respectively. However, it was estimated that the total C amount in the respective Ap horizons was 28, 14, and 10 Mg ha⁻¹ for the slight, moderate, and severe areas. The Bt1 horizon had 31, 19, and 11 Mg ha⁻¹ of C in the slight, moderate, and severe areas, respectively. For the 0.72 ha area, 25% was severely eroded with 31 and 44% being moderate and slight, respectively. Soil C distribution information, such as that presented here, can be very valuable for soil management and could be used to determine possible C storage credits.     

Influence of the nature of clay minerals on the fixation of radiocaesium traces in an acid brown earth–podzol weathering sequence

The magnitude of radiocaesium fixation by micaceous clay minerals is affected by their transformation, which depends on weathering in soil. The net retention of radiocaesium traces was quantified by sorption–desorption experiments in the various horizons of four sandy soils forming an acid brown earth–podzol weathering sequence derived from sandy sediments and characterized by marked changes in mineral composition. The features of the 2:1 minerals of the four soils, resulting from an aluminization process in depth and a desaluminization process towards the surface, had a strong influence on Cs⁺ fixation. Beneath the desaluminization front, which deepens from the acid brown earth to the podzol, hydroxy interlayered vermiculite was dominant and the ¹³⁷Cs⁺ fixation was the weakest. At the desaluminization front depth, vermiculite was responsible for the strongest ¹³⁷Cs⁺ fixation. In the upper layers, smectite appeared in the podzolized soils and the ¹³⁷Cs⁺ fixation decreased. The magnitude in Cs⁺ fixation therefore appeared as a tracer of the transformation process affecting the 2:1 clay minerals in the acid brown earth–podzol weathering sequence. This magnitude was positively correlated with the vermiculite content of the studied soil materials estimated by the rubidium saturation method.     

Structure of soil carbohydrates resistant to periodate oxidation

Permethylation has been applied to the polysaccharide in soil, which has been oxidized with 0.2 m NaIO₄ and treated with 0.1 m Na₂B₄O₇. The amounts and types of methylated sugar obtained on hydrolysis have been compared with those from unoxidized soil.
As well as a number of derivatives corresponding to 1 -3 linked glucose, arabinose and xylose, considerable proportions of 1-4 linked glucose and xylose also persisted. The polysaccharides appear to persist for both chemical and physical reasons.     

Effects of addition of bentonite on the hydrocarbon fraction of a podzol soil (A1 Horizon)

Lipids generally accumulate in surface horizons of soils deficient in clay minerals. Samples from a podzol (A₁ horizon–no clay) were incubated with a supply of hetero- or homo-ionic (Mg)-bentonite for 4 months at 28 °C. A significant decrease of unbound lipids was observed. A detailed study of the mainly hydrocarbon fraction revealed that several processes were involved. A transfer of lipids, particularly hydrocarbons, occurred from the free to the bound phase. Consequently, reduced toxicity of these lipids towards soil microorganisms can be expected. The addition of clay resulted in a stimulation of oxidation processes, the extent of which varied with the exchangeable cations; heteroionic bentonite led to increased mineralization, whereas Mg-bentonite promoted mild oxidation reactions. The increased microbial activity also produced short-chain hydrocarbons; with Mg-bentonite, unusual C₂₁-C₃₅ n-alkanes were detected. All of these microbial hydrocarbons were found in the bound phase.     

A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL MOVEMENT OF TWO SOIL CONSTITUENTS INTO ILLUVIAL HORIZONS: APPLICATION TO CLAY RATIOS IN ARGILLIC HORIZONS

The effects of the migration of two soil constituents into illuvial horizons is described by a set of equations. Differential movement of clay fractions during illuviation causes changes in the fine to total clay ratios in A and B horizons. A mathematical model is used for the interpretation of clay fraction data in order to estimate the degree of profile development, the amounts of fine and total clay which have moved, and to determine the original composition of the parent material. No bulk density data of the soil horizons are necessary for the computation. The equations can be programmed on desk calculators. Comparison with measurements on Alfisols in temperate regions was found to be satisfactory.     

Contribution of separate solid-phase components to the formation of the cation exchange capacity in the main genetic horizons of meadow-chestnut soils

Different types of cation exchange capacity (CEC) and related chemical properties were determined in the main genetic horizons of meadow-chestnut soils in the mesodepressions at the Dzhanybek Research Station of the Institute of Forestry of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In the A horizon, the CEC is mainly due to the organic matter from the clay and coarse fractions, which provides 36% of the soil CEC, and to labile silicates and other clay minerals of the clay fraction. In the Bt horizon, the CEC is mainly provided by the labile minerals of the clay fraction and organic matter of the clay and coarse fractions. The standard soil CEC was found to be significantly higher than the sum of the exchangeable cations in the A horizon and slightly lower than the sum of the exchangeable cations in the Bt and Bca2 horizons. This difference can be related to the fact that the NH₄⁺ ion, which is selectively adsorbed by clay minerals, is used as a displacing cation during the determination of the exchangeable bases, while the Ba²⁺ ion, which is more selectively adsorbed by organic matter, is used during the determination of the standard CEC. In all the genetic horizons, the experimentally determined value of the standard CEC almost coincides with the CEC value obtained by summing the standard CECs of the different particle-size fractions with account for their contents; hence, this parameter is additive in nature.     

Scaling the saturated hydraulic conductivity of an alfisol

Alfisols exhibit a high degree of spatial variability in their physical properties. As a result, it is difficult to use information on physical parameters measured at one location to model larger-scale hydrologic processes. In this study, the saturated hydraulic conductivity, K_S , of an Alfisol was determined on 109 undisturbed monoliths using the falling-head permeameter method. The model developed by Arya & Paris (1981) was used to calculate the pore volume from sand and clay fractions. Scaling factors were calculated from the measured K_s , sand pore-volume, clay pore-volume, clay content and effective porosity, using the similar media concept. Prediction of K_s of gravelly Alfisol using clay pore-volume is confounded by high gravel content which, when discounted, improves the prediction remarkably. The scaled mean saturated hydraulic conductivity K* for all horizons of the Alfisol was approximately l.0x 10⁻⁵ms⁻¹.     

Effects of silicate weathering and lessivage on K‐content in forest soils derived from Pleistocene sediments

The potassium (K) content of soils developed from Pleistocene calcareous till, glacial sand and loess in NW Germany was investigated in order to characterize stores of K in feldspars (K_feldspar) and mica/illite (K_mica/illite) as well as changes as a function of soil depth. From each horizon, up to seven sand, six silt and three clay fractions were separated. K_feldspar and K_mica/illite were quantified by means of chemical composition and estimation by IR‐spectroscopy. On account of distinct differences in mineralogical composition between different particle size fractions, K‐content of the bulk soil < 2000 μm and the proportion of K_mica/illite and K_feldspar are clearly related to grain size distribution of the sample. Generally, the K‐content of particle size fractions of a soil derived from calcareous till is significantly higher than that of a soil from glacial sands. K_mica/illite of clay and silt fractions increases with depth, reflecting greater mica/illite weathering at the soil surface, whereas K_feldspar shows no noticeable change. Illite accumulates by lessivage in Bt horizons. On a whole‐soil basis, the Bt horizons of Luvisols derived from loess and calcareous till contain more K_mica/illite than either the A or the C horizons. By comparing the K‐content in the different particle size fractions with soil depth, the highest rate of change is found for soils derived from glacial sand. Gains in K in the silt fractions of soils from calcareous till and glacial sand result from weathering of feldspar sand grains. Additionally, decomposition of feldspar‐containing rock fragments of gravel size, and aeolian sedimentation, may also have contributed to these gains.