The origin of carbonates in termite mounds of the Lubumbashi area, D.R. Congo

The origin of carbonate accumulations in termite mounds is a controversial issue. This study is an attempt to elucidate the processes of carbonate precipitation in Macrotermes mounds built on Ferralsols in Upper Katanga, D.R. Congo, whereby a differentiation between pedogenic and inherited carbonates is considered. Carbonate features were investigated for a 9 m deep termite-mound profile, and for an 18 m wide cross-section through a termite mound and the adjacent soil, using field and laboratory techniques. Field evidence for a pedogenic origin includes morphological type (soft powdery materials, nodules, and coatings on ped surfaces) and distribution patterns of the carbonates. Thin-section studies reveal that the carbonates occur predominantly as impregnative orthic nodules and less commonly as coatings, both clearly pedogenic; calcareous pellets are interpreted as locally reworked pedogenic carbonates. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and stable isotope (δ¹³C) analyses show that all isolated carbonate features consist of high-Mg calcite (4.9-12.3 mol% MgCO₃) with δ¹³C signatures ranging from − 13.2‰ to − 11.5‰. Weddellite (CaC₂O₄. 2H₂O) is identified in a thin-section and by XRD analysis, and appears to be locally transformed into calcite. The stable isotope composition of carbon suggests that calcite precipitated in equilibrium with soil CO₂ generated during decomposition of soil organic matter, and locally most likely during oxidation of oxalate. This study proves that carbonates which accumulated in Macrotermes mounds are pedogenic precipitates, whose deposition is partly related to microbial decay of organic matter, subsequently redistributed to some extent by abiotic dissolution-reprecipitation and termite activity.     

白鹿原人工果树林地土壤和农耕地土壤微形态对比研究

选择白鹿原人工果树林地土壤和耕地土壤为研究对象,用偏光显微镜和Qwin软件对土壤微形态进行了观察和定量分析。结果表明:两种土壤和土壤粗颗粒的矿物组合基本一致,主要由石英和长石组成,但颗粒的形态和粒径有一定差别;林地土壤中主要是孔道和填充孔隙,孔隙壁较光滑,剖面中微形态连续变化,而耕地土壤的孔隙形态复杂,孔隙壁相对较粗糙,从上向下微结构明显变化,其中20 cm和35 cm是两个重要转折点;大量隐晶方解石反映土壤环境频繁变化,大量针状方解石出现在犁底层中下部并指示一种短期稳定的土壤环境,大量细晶方解石反映长期稳定的土壤环境。     

Life cycle of pollen grains in mormoder humus forms of young acid forest soils: a micromorphological approach

Horizons of humus profiles contain pollen and spores. The palynological information of pollen spectra of terrestrial humus forms must be validated by micropedological knowledge of the processes of infiltration, incorporation, conservation, transport and decay of pollen grains in the soil system. This study presents the results of combined palynological and micromorphological analyses of two mormoder humus forms, sampled in the Forestry Gieten, The Netherlands. The aim of this study was to establish the distribution pattern and life cycle of pollen grains in mormoders. The first step of this cycle of pollen grains in the humus profile is eolian deposition on the soil surface. The second step is incorporation of the grains in organic aggregates in the upper part of the F horizon. In ‘acid’ mormoders, grains are embedded by ageing small excrements of micro-arthropods and incorporated in the resulting organic aggregates. In ‘mild’ mormoders, the same process is observable, but additional pollen grains are also directly incorporated (and slightly transported) in medium excrements of small earthworm. The third step in the cycle is release by microbial attack of the aggregates in the lower part of the F horizon and the H and Ah horizons. The fourth step is re-incorporation of the released grains in organic aggregates of ageing small sized excrements of micro-arthropods, which consume decaying root tissue. Not re-incorporated grains will finally mineralise by microbial consumption. Mineralising of released pollen grains is the main process in the mineral AE horizon. Based on knowledge of the distribution pattern and life cycle of pollen grains in mormoders, pollen diagrams can be used for the reconstruction of the forest development.     

关中地区古耕作土壤和现代耕作土壤微形态特征及意义

【目的】通过对土壤微形态研究试图阐明陕西关中地区现代土壤的发育过程和微形态标志。【方法】用偏光显微镜对LGT剖面不同发生层的薄片进行了观察和影像定量分析。【结果】不同发生层的矿物组合十分相似,石英（Q）和长石（Pl）占绝对优势,但C/F15?m值、不同矿物间的比例、颗粒形态等有明显差异。土壤形成物主要是粘土矿物、方解石和无定形Fe,Ap层中有大量针状方解石微晶、次生粘土和蚯蚓粪粒,BC层方解石数量多且形态最复杂,Bt1和Bt2层方解石很少,但有大量粘土亚胶膜。【结论】所谓的"堆垫土"实际上由两部分组成,下部BC主要是全新世晚期堆积的风积物,表层Ap是2000年以来人类不断施加土粪、风尘堆积和农耕活动的综合产物。     

关中地区两种不同农业管理方式下土壤微形态特征

 【目的】通过对关中地区不同土壤微形态特征的研究和对比，试图阐明农业管理方式对土壤发育过程和方向的影响。【方法】用偏光显微镜和NIKON NISBR2.2软件对土壤微形态进行了观察和分析。【结果】灌溉和非灌溉土壤均具有Ap1-Ap2-BC剖面构型, 但前者分异更明显；粗颗粒矿物组合均以石英和长石占绝对优势；与非灌溉土壤相比, 灌溉土壤Ap1和Ap2层中颗粒的长度、等圆直径、周长、面积、圆度、C/F(10μm)值降低的程度更大，残积粘土数量更多且出现一定数量的淀积粘土，孔隙形态更规则和孔壁更光滑。【结论】农业管理方式对土壤剖面分异和微形态有显著的影响；农业生产过程中的灌溉可增强风化强度，使颗粒形态细化和园化程度增强，残积粘土数量显著增加且可出现淀积粘土，但对粗颗粒主要矿物组合影响不明显。     

不同谷子品种叶片表皮微形态学特征

为了解谷子叶片表皮微形态学特征,利用扫描电镜对3个谷子品种叶片表皮微形态结构进行观察。结果表明:谷子叶片表皮主要由表皮细胞、气孔器、乳突和表皮毛等结构组成;下表皮表皮毛分布浓密,气孔大小、气孔密度、单位面积内气孔总面积均大于上表皮。豫谷1号、豫谷18和冀谷19下表皮气孔周长分别比上表皮长9.77%、20.51%和24.36%,单个气孔面积分别是上表皮的1.22、1.58和1.34倍,气孔密度分别比上表皮高4.79%、37.60%和4.56%,单位面积内气孔总面积分别是上表皮的1.31、2.23和1.52倍。品种间比较,豫谷18叶片上下表皮表皮毛分布最为密集,气孔密度最大(上表皮221.84个/mm₂,下表皮305.25个/mm₂),气孔较小(上下表皮单个气孔面积分别为262.49、414.13 m₂),单位面积内气孔总面积最大(174162.13?滋m₂/mm₂)。由此可见,品种间叶片表皮微形态结构的差异性可为揭示品种高产及抗性机理提供形态学依据。     

Soil evolution over the Quaternary period in a semiarid climate (Segre river terraces,northeast Spain)

A macro- and micromorphologic study was done on the soils from a stepped sequence of seven dated fluvial terraces in the lower Segre river valley (Lleida, northeast Spain) under a present-day semiarid Mediterranean climate. The soils have evolved from the Holocene through the early Pleistocene, providing an excellent morphostratigraphic framework for evaluating time-dependent factors influencing soil formation in a dry and calcareous environment. Throughout the chronosequence, some properties are regularly age-related specially carbonatation in subsurface horizons. The carbonates occur mainly as micrite, and although microsparite and sparite also appear in the oldest soils, they are replaced by fine-grained calcite by dissolution–reprecipitation processes (micritization process), which is active at present. Some pedological paleofeatures as the presence of sparite and recarbonated argillans in oldest terrace can be interpreted as the reflex of climatic changes during the Quaternary. In spite of this climate variability, the soils display progressive and systematic patterns of carbonate accumulation: on the lowest terraces, the soils do not yet have secondary carbonates but in the beginning Late Pleistocene calcic horizons, with carbonate pendents, are developed; these pendents increase its thickness with age although pendent growth rates decreases from Late Pleistocene to Middle Pleistocene. In the middle of the Late Pleistocene, calcic horizons evolved to petrocalcic horizons, which increase its thickness in the Middle and specially in Early Pleistocene. The presence of calcic and petrocalcic horizons is the primary basis for soil classification. This criterion is applicable not only to the soils of the lower Segre river basin, but also to many soils throughout the semiarid Mediterranean region.     

Soil development on Late Quaternary river terraces in a high montane valley in Bhutan,Eastern Himalayas

We examined the geochemistry and micromorphology of the soils on a suite of morphologically well-defined and visually distinct fluvial terraces, up to 40 m elevation above the current riverbed, at Thangbi in the upper Bumthang Valley, Bhutan. The alluvia forming each of the terraces are lithologically and structurally similar, with shallow or moderately deep, clast-free sandy loam overbank deposits capping deep clast-supported beds of rounded boulders and interstitial sand. The topsoils on the 40 m terrace have more silt than those on the lower terraces. The soils are interpreted mainly as a monoclinal post-incisive chronosequence. Features that indicate progressive pedogenesis with increasing elevation include subsoil rubefaction, crystallinity of free Fe sesquioxides, and weathering of susceptible primary minerals, such as biotite and hornblende. However other soil attributes show no systematic trends and the overall impression is of limited pedogenesis, even in the soils on the higher terraces. We examine possibilities that the immaturity of the soils is due to pedogenic rejuvenation by post-incision additions to the soil parent materials.