Characteristics and genesis of nodules and concretions occurring in soils of the R. Chinit area,Kompong Thom Province,Cambodia

Morphological, chemical and mineralogical studies were made on different types of nodules and concretions occurring in Gleysols, Ferralsols and Vertisols of the R. Chinit area, Kompong Thorn Province, Cambodia.

The examinations indicated that nodules have developed through impregnation of soil matrix with iron and/or manganese oxides, whilceoncretions have formed through periodical precipitation of iron oxide around ferruginous or manganiferous nuclei to the exclusion of surrounding soil materials. Alternation of wet and dry seasons is believed to play an important part in the localization of iron and manganese into mottles and their subsequent hardening. The proportion of anhydrous iron oxides (hematite, maghemite) to hydrated iron oxide (goethite) appears to be closely related to the degree of desiccation of soils in dry seasons. Decomposition of kaolinite in the nodules and concretions was suggested by their lower kaolinite, and higher amorphous silica and alumina contents as compared to the surrounding soils. Mechanisms involved in the genesis of each of the types are further discussed.     

Quantitative relationships between morphology and current soil hydrology in some Alfisols in semiarid tropical Australia

The shallow groundwater hydrology of a sequence of red, yellow, and grey earths (Paleustalfs, Plinthustalfs and Ochraqualfs of “Soil Taxonomy”) was monitored over a 9-year period (1973–1982) along a drilled transect of 30 boreholes near Torrens Creek, in northeastern Australia. Climatic analysis shows an aridic soil moisture regime under which soil water surpluses should not occur, and thus significant hydromorphism would not be expected in the soils. The present study has demonstrated, however, that profile saturation and groundwater tables may be expected to develop at various depths in the soils as often as 1 year in 3. Besides, strong linear relationships were found between a number of morphological features of the soils and various hydrological regimes currently active in the profiles: the depths to the upper limits of brown, brownish red, or red mottles, to the upper limit of ironstone gravels, and to the maximum content of clay are all most closely related to the mean position of the shallowest water tables observed; the depths to grey mottles and to mottles with chromas of two or less are most directly related to the depths at which the soils are saturated for 5 weeks; the depth to the maximum content of ironstone gravels and to the base of the solum are most closely associated with the depth at which the soils are saturated for 10 to 15 weeks; and dominantly grey colours in the strongly mottled subsols are best related to profile saturations for at least 21 weeks. The results indicate that the gley features present in the soil profiles could have developed, at least in part, in response to the current soil hydrological regime.     

Model experiments on mottle formation simulating field conditions

Creation of soil mottles in four artificial cores with vertically continuous cylindrical pores was accomplished under two different moisture regimes, simulating naturally occurring conditions. Two cores remained permanently unsaturated at a moisture tension of only 7 cm while two others were periodically saturated (three weeks) and drained (one week). Different mottle patterns were produced in each set of cores as a result of the moisture regimes. Mottles in the unsaturated cores were predominantly ped mangans, whereas channel neoalbans and quasimangans were found in the saturated cores. These mottle types correlated well with mottles and moisture regimes in the field. A s semiquantitative analysis using a scanning electron microscope confirmed the visually estimated mottle composition and was used to determine relative movement of iron and manganese in the cores. The latter could be explained by considering the results of in situ redox measurements.     

Al-substituted goethite—An indicator of pedogenic and other weathering environments in South Africa

Over 200 goethite-containing samples from widely diverse environments along the eastern seaboard of South Africa were examined and described, mainly by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD).Aluminium-substituted goethites ranging from 0 to about 32 mole % AlOOH were identified mainly by XRD line-shift and chemical extraction. They occur in every soil zone and major soil type in one or other form from sources such as: (1) non-hydromorphic- highly weathered (strongly acid soils, ferruginous bauxites, saprolites) and moderately weathered (moderately acid soils) environments; (2) hydromorphic environments (mottles, concentrations, pipe stems, crusts, ferricretes, geodes); and (3) crusts in calcareous environments. These goethites, formed in different climatic and weathering environments were grouped according to their amount of Al-substitution and crystallinity (as determined by XRD line broadening). Al-substitution in goethite formed in hydromorphic, moderately acid soils and calcareous environments was generally low (0–15 mole %). Goethite formed in non-hydromorphic highly weathered environments was generally high in Al-substitution (15–32 mole %) and increased in the following order: saprolites and strongly acid, freely drained soils < ferruginous bauxites < strongly acid soils overlying plinthite.This study showed that the degree of Al-substitution and crystallinity of goethites may reflect the environment in which they have formed and serve as an indicator of soilforming processes.     

Sem-edxra investigation of tubular features and iron nodules in lateritic soils from malaysia

Tubular features were observed with SEM in unhardened pieces of iron nodules found in some lateritic soils of Malaysia. EDXRA measurements demonstrated that the tubes were coated with predominantly Fe and Al. They probably represent mycelia encrusted as a result of lateritization or ferrallitization processes.

The iron nodules frequently exhibited fluidal structures in backscattered electron scanning images. White areas in the images contained most iron, whilst grey areas of the nodules were composed of predominantly Al, Si, K and Fe, similar to the composition of the soil matrix surrounding the iron nodules. The nodules are interpreted as having formed in clayey material most of which is still present in these features.     

Soil solution and extractable calcium in gypsumamended coastal plain soils used for peanut culture

Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) fruits absorb Ca directly from the soil solution; therefore, the concentration of soil solution Ca in the fruiting zone (0–8 cm) is important in determining the availability of adequate Ca during fruit development. Since the critical period for Ca requirement for peanut fruit may extend from 25–65 d after flowering, a measure of extractable Ca (Quantity factor) is also important in determining the replenishment of soil solution Ca over the fruiting period. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effects of varying soil moisture regimes on soil solution and extractable Ca in gypsumamended Bonifay sand (loamy, siliceous, thermic, grossarenic, Plinthic Paleudult) and Greenville sandy loam (clayey, kaolinitic, thermic, Rhodic Kandiudult) soils over a 70‐d period. Soil solution Ca increased in both soils with increasing soil moisture, 14 d after incubation of gypsum‐amended soils. Subsequently, the soil solution Ca decreased for all moisture regimes in the Bonifay soil, but only in the driest regime in the Greenville soil. Soil solution Ca concentrations were 1.0 and 3.2 cmolc/L in the Bonifay soil and 2.7 and 1.6 cmolc/L in the Greenville soil for the wettest and driest regimes, respectively, 70 d after incubation. Gypsum amendment also increased the concentrations of K and Mg in soil solution in both soils; therefore, leaching of excess K and Mg below the fruiting zone may be facilitated in field situations.     

Evaluation of magnetic iron oxides as sediment tracers in water erosion experiments

Water erosion is one of the major concerns with regard to sustainability of agricultural systems in Mediterranean countries (e.g. olive farming areas in Southern Spain). The limitations of the technologies traditionally used in erosion measurement has created increased interest in the use of innovative erosion tracers useful for monitoring erosion and determining deposition rates in the field. In this work, we evaluated the potential of magnetic iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) as a soil tracer. Particle size distribution of the magnetic iron oxide, mobility under drainage conditions and the effect of the aggregate size distribution in blank and tagged soils were studied. The use of magnetic iron oxide to estimate soil losses at small-scale was also examined using a portable rainfall simulator and measuring magnetic susceptibility before and after each simulated rainfall. The properties of the magnetic iron oxide, including a particle size distribution similar to that of soil aggregates, strong binding to soil particles, little mobility in soil, very high magnetic susceptibility relative to the typically low background values of the studied soils, innocuous to environment and low cost, make it an effective soil tracer for estimating soil losses at a small-scale.     

土壤对镉的吸附与解吸——Ⅰ.土壤组份对镉的吸附和解吸的影响

采用选择溶解法研究了有机质、游离铁、无定型硅、铝等土壤组份对青黑土、黄棕壤、红壤和砖红壤胶体吸附和解吸Cd的影响。结果表明,去除有机质后胶体吸附Cd减少,这可能是由于交换吸附的减少所致;游离铁的去除使得黄棕壤、红壤和砖红壤的吸附量显著减少,显示了在这些土壤中游离氧化铁专性吸附的重要性;随着无定形铝含量的上升,吸附量下降,这是因为铝离子占据了高能量的吸附位。经不同处理后的土壤胶体,其Cd的解吸顺序(解吸%)大致为:去无定型硅、铝者>去游离铁者>去有机质者>原胶体,但在不同土壤和不同pH条件下该顺序略有差别。研究结果为控制和改造土壤Cd污染提供了理论依据。     

我国一些主要土壤铁锰结核中氧化锰矿的矿物学特征

X－ray diffraction and selective chemical dissolution methods were used to investigate the composition of Mn oxide minerals in Fe-Mn nodules of several main types of soils in China.The changes of relative intensity of X-ray diffraction patterns were studied both before and after chemically selective dissolution.It was found that lithiophorite was a common Mn oxide in all examined Fe-Mn nodules.Todorokite,however,was a predominant Mn oxide in Fe-Mn nodules ,Todorokite,however,was a predominant Mn oxide in Fe-Mn nodules in cal-aquic vertisols of Linyi,Shandong Province,The Fe-Mn nodules of arp-udic Luvisols in Wuhan and Zaoyang,Hubei Province,contained birnessite and vernadite. Hollandite was found in Fe-Mn nodules of alt-udic Ferrisols of Yizhang,Hunan Province,;arp-udic Luvisols of Zaoyang,Hubei Province,and cal-aquic Vertisols of Linyi,Shandong province,The Fe-Mn nodules in alt-udic Ferrisols of Guiyang,Hunan Province,had a few coronadites.Mineralogy of Mn oxide minerals in soil Fe-Mn nodules was related to soil environment,soil types and quantities of relevant cations     

The significance of gley features in soils derived from grey parent materials

Detailed observations of gley features in soils derived from grey Upper Greensand rocks have been compared with their moisture regimes as determined by water-levels in dipwells. There was good correlation between the incidence of grey ped face and matrix colours of low chroma, prominent ochreous mottling within the matrix and duration of waterlogging. Careful examination of soil macromorphology can be used, despite inherent greyness, to assess the drainage status and Wetness Class of these soils.
Physical and micromorphological analyses suggest that the wetness of some Upper Greensand soils is due to the combination of low vertical permeability in the underlying rock, and moderate horizontal permeability in the overlying horizons. Such circumstances allow perched water-tables to form in wet weather, sustained by lateral flow when rainfall has ceased.     

Lateritic and redoximorphic features in a faulted landscape near Manaus, Brazil

The soils and sediments of the uplands in the Manaus region are described and analysed along a representative cross‐section. There are two broad types of features, lateritic and redoximorphic. Their formation is linked to two main processes acting under contrasted hydrological regimes. The first process, acting under well‐drained conditions, is lateritization. It has transformed strongly weathered sediment into soil and led to depletion of silica (mainly quartz) as well as to relative accumulation of both kaolinite and iron oxides (haematite and goethite). Crystallographic changes observed in the latter have resulted from alternating dissolution and crystallization cycles without significant transfer of iron and alumina. However, in the uppermost soil, dissolution of kaolinite has prevailed over crystallization, leading to depletion of clay and the formation of tiny crystals of gibbsite disseminated throughout the groundmass. The second process results from the development of reducing conditions in groundwater giving redoximorphic features in lateritic soils and sediments. In the sediments, iron has been depleted by regional aquifers to form a pallid zone. In the soil, large amounts of iron and minor amounts of alumina, mainly from aluminous goethite, have been mobilized at first in small patches, which with further mobilization and vertical transfer of these elements have increased in size and have led to the formation of bleached horizons over thin iron pans. Iron has crystallized predominantly as haematite in the iron pans and alumina as large crystals of gibbsite in soil voids. Formation of impervious iron pans holds up fluctuating perched groundwater in the overlying horizons depending on rainfall events. Neotectonic events (formation of uplifted blocks and small grabens) have markedly altered the hydrological regimes. In the uplifted blocks, the soil has been deeply truncated and iron loss has been checked in the uppermost sediment. By contrast, mobilization of iron has been initiated at various places in the soil of the small grabens. In this way tectonic events have checked mobilization of iron in sediments but activated it in soils, leaving spectacular fingerprints on the landscape.     

湘东第四纪红色黏土发育的典型土壤在中国土壤 系统分类中的归属

选取湖南省东部地区12个由第四纪红色黏土发育的典型土壤剖面,在对其成土环境、剖面形态特征及其理化性质进行研究的基础上,按照中国土壤系统分类方案,检索出了其诊断层和诊断特性,据此确定了其在中国土壤系统分类中的归属。结果表明,供试土壤剖面包含了淡薄表层、暗瘠表层、低活性富铁层、黏化层、聚铁网纹层等10个诊断层和诊断特性,其在中国系统分类体系中的位置分别为:淋溶土、富铁土和雏形土3个土纲;湿润淋溶土、湿润富铁土和湿润雏形土3个亚纲;简育湿润富铁土、铝质湿润淋溶土和铝质湿润雏形土3个土类;暗红简育湿润富铁土、表蚀简育湿润富铁土、网纹简育湿润富铁土等6个亚类;按照土族和土系划分标准,建立了黏质高岭石型酸性热性-普通铝质湿润淋溶土等9个土族和燕塘系(43-LY01)等12个土系。研究发现:受亚热带气候影响,许多土壤剖面发生了富铁铝化过程,且由于淋溶强烈,形成了聚铁网纹层,而现行的《中国土壤系统分类检索(第三版)》还不能给出一个合适的位置,因此建议在铝质湿润淋溶土亚类中增设一个可以反映相关特性的网纹铝质湿润淋溶土亚类。     

磷矿粉在橡胶园不同母质砖红壤中溶解特性研究

研究表明大多数热带地区酸性土壤上施用磷矿粉能取得与水溶性磷肥相当的肥效。目前橡胶树等热带作物施肥实践中长期施用水溶性磷肥,磷矿粉在热带胶园土壤中的应用研究较少。为此,本文通过室内培养试验研究了采自云南昆阳磷矿(KPR)和江西吴村磷矿(WPR)2种品位磷矿粉在砂页岩、花岗岩、片麻岩、浅海沉积物和玄武岩等5种母质发育的10个胶园砖红壤中的溶解特性和有效性动态变化。结果表明:2种磷矿粉在10个砖红壤上的溶解量均随着培养时间的延长不断增加。对2种磷矿粉在砖红壤中的溶解动力学过程模拟效果最好的是Elovich方程,其次是Langmuir方程,Mitscherlich方程模拟效果最差。2种磷矿粉在玄武岩发育砖红壤上平均最大溶解量分别是砂页岩发育砖红壤、花岗岩发育砖红壤、片麻岩发育砖红壤和浅海沉积物发育砖红壤的2.16倍、1.73倍、2.49倍和2.39倍。2种磷矿粉在10个土壤中最大溶解量均与土壤有机质含量、水解性总酸、游离态氧化铁含量和CEC呈显著性正相关,溶解速率均与土壤水解性总酸、游离氧化铁和CEC呈显著正相关关系。经逐步回归发现:土壤游离氧化铁含量可能是决定磷矿粉在砖红壤中最大溶解量的第1因素,土壤磷吸附常数K值和CEC则可能分别是影响KPR和WPR在砖红壤中溶解速度的第1因素。2种磷矿粉施用后所有土壤有效磷含量均出现不同程度的增加,但不同土壤、不同培养时间有效磷增加量存在差异。本研究显示,将磷矿粉优先施用在玄武岩发育砖红壤可能会取得相对较好的效果;与KPR相比,WPR作为中低品位磷矿粉也可能同样有效。     

Iron oxide mineralogy of placic horizons

The iron oxide mineralogy of 15 placic horizons from Germany, New Zealand, Belgium and U.K. was determined by differential X-ray diffraction (DXRD). All samples examined contained ferrihydrite and goethite, lepidocrocite occurred in 10, and six contained non-DCB-reducible, lithogenic hematite. Ferrihydrite was most readily identified in ‘untreated minus oxalate-treated’ DXRD patterns. Al-substitution of goethites ranged from 4 to 13 mole %. Mean crystallite dimensions varied from 11 to 21 nm and from 6 to 21 nm for the goethite (110) and (111) lines respectively, from 7 to 51 nm for the lepidocrocite (020) line (lath thickness), and from 55 to 134 nm for the hematite (104) line. These values are typical for goethites from carbon-rich environments with poor crystallization conditions, and for well crystalline lithogenic hematites. The DXRD method is ideally suited to the evaluation of the many selective dissolution techniques used in soil chemistry and mineralogy.     

The structure of microbial communities in redoximorphic microsites of Gleysol

Microbial communities were studied in redoximorphic microsites of highly heterogeneous Gleysol at a mm scale using 16S and 18S amplicon sequencing to demonstrate if the composition of soil microbes reflects the differences in ferric and ferrous micro-sites. In both explored gley horizons with redoximorphic features (Bg2 and Cg), ferric mottles were significantly enriched with total P and Fe and depleted of O, Si, Al, K and Ca compared with the adjacent ferrous groundmass (SEM–EDS). Ferric mottles were determined as Fe oxide coatings and hypocoatings. In Bg2, both prokaryotic and micro-eukaryotic communities differed significantly between mottles and groundmass in composition of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and in proportions of phyla, reflecting heterogeneities in the soil properties there. Mottles in Bg2 were characterized by increased proportion of Proteobacteria, decreased proportion of Acidobacteriota among prokaryotes and by dominance of a single proteobacterial OTU from Anaplasmataceae compared to all other samples. The composition of micro-eukaryotes showed an opposite trend, as micro-eukaryotes of Bg2 groundmass were unique among the other horizons, while micro-eukaryotes of Bg2 mottles had similar composition to neighbouring horizons. Microbial communities of adjacent samples were not more similar to each other than communities of randomly selected ones in Bg2 horizon. That suggests that at mm scale, the sample distance does not represent the driving factor of microbial community composition and that the adjacent samples differ rather due to physicochemical factors. The spatial organization of microbial communities revealed in Bg2 has not reappeared in similarly organized Cg horizon, probably due to other overriding factors. The differences revealed between Bg2 and Cg horizons, including granulometric composition, content of crystalline Fe, exchangeable Al, and organic carbon, as well as exposition to groundwater, were discussed as possible reasons of the distinct organization in Cg. The similarity of pro−/eukaryotic communities of adjacent and non-adjacent couples suggests no distance decay pattern at a mm scale. The agreement between patchiness in soil properties and microbial communities was revealed for the first time and confirms the importance of microscale patterns in soil.     

A soil-diagnostic key to manage saline and waterlogged catchments in the Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia

Abstract. Dryland salinity in the Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia has developed as a result of native vegetation being replaced with pastures that use less water. Groundwaters have risen and mobilized ions (sodium, chloride, sulphate and iron) stored within deeply weathered micaceous sandstones and schists. Salinity resulting from sodium chloride is common in agricultural catchments around Australia, but saline sulphidic soils (with sulphate and iron) have only been studied in South Australia. Salinity is also associated with waterlogging and secondary sodicity. The amelioration of dryland salinity and waterlogging involves management of whole catchments, not just the area that is currently saline. It is imperative that all processes operating in saline catchments and their interactions are clearly understood.
Salinity, waterlogging, sodicity, sulphidization and water erosion were studied in four saline sub-catchments in the Mt Lofty Ranges. Grey (bleached) and yellow mottles (iron depletions) or black and red stains (iron concentrations) develop under certain conditions of water saturation, salinization, sulphidization, sodification and water erosion in surface and subsurface horizons. The amounts of these diagnostic features were used to develop a farm planning key for managing saline catchments in the Mt Lofty Ranges. Using soil diagnostic features, soil-water processes in saline catchments are easily identified by farmers and land managers. Management options (e.g. fencing, tree planting and drainage) are then targeted to specific soils and can be easily incorporated by agricultural advisers into farm management plans. We recommend that soil diagnostic features which help predict the onset of land degradation be used in the production of land capability maps for farm planning purposes.     

The soils of the eastern hilly area and their suitability to vineyard in Friuli (Italy)

Typic Eutrochrepts (from “Flysch”), Typic Udifluvents (from alluvial deposits), Dystric Eutrochrepts and Plinthic Paleudults on old alluvial deposits and terraces were characterized. All soils investigated fall in the suitability class S2 or S3 for grape cultivation. Imperfect drainage and acidic reaction are most prominent soil limitations. Fertilization with organic matter, N and some microelements such as Zn, as well as drainage improvement, are the suggestions proposed in order to increase the soil fertility and the wine production.     

Origin of red-yellow mottling in a Ferric Acrisol of southern Spain

We studied the spatial distribution of the amount and types of Fe oxides in a Ferric Acrisol having a red-yellow mottled horizon. Red mottles contain hematite and goethite; yellow mottles have goethite but in amounts markedly smaller than those of the contiguous red mottles. We think that reductive dissolution caused the disappearance of the hematite and part of the goethite in the yellow mottles. This is supported by the experimental dissolution of the iron oxides of the clay fractions: hematite dissolved, on the average, at a rate twice of that of goethite.