Clay mineralogy and evolution of soils in a catena in Behshahr area, Mazandaran Province

Document Type : Complete scientific research article

Authors

gorgan

Abstract

Clay mineralogy and evolution of soils in a catena in Behshahr area, Mazandaran Province

Background and objectives: Catena is defined as the range of continuous soil series which are at a toposequence and also called drainage sequence. The main objectives of this research were: 1. to study the combined effects of topography and drainage conditions and water table depth on formation and evolution of soils, and 2. To investigate the hydromorphic and halohydromorphic soils of Miankaleh lowland area as wildlife habitat and tourist attractions.
Materials and methods: The study area is in the south-eastern Caspian Sea with a temperate climate, xeric soil moisture regime and thermic soil temperature regime. Three geomorphic surfaces determined in the area are consisted of hillslopes, alluvial plains and lowlands. Five representative pedons were investigated using present soil maps of the area along North-South transect.
Results: The low lying soils near sea were classified as Aquisalids and Halaquepts, and gleization has occurred. Based on field observations and previous studies it appears that this region has come out of the water during the past century. In the alluvial plain in agricultural lands, Haplaquolls and Haploxerepts were dominant with high organic matter accumulation. In Haplaquolls accumulation of clay and gleization were observed. In Haploxerepts, vertic properties were dominant. Finally in hillslopes of the north-facing slope of Alborz under forest vegetation Haploxeralfs were formed with argillic horizon and decalcification has occurred. The clay mineralogical results showed that illite was dominant clay mineral in low lying and alluvial plain soils, but in hillslope under forest vegetation smectite is dominant mineral. Vermiculite is also found in the soil of hillslopes well. Due to lack ofthe necessary conditionsfor the formation ofkaolinite, this mineral is inherited from the parent material. The presence ofillite and chlorite minerals in area soils have a hereditary origin.
Conclusion:In hillslopes due to greater leaching and forest cover, weathering more done and make more smectite and vermiculite is formed. Intensivedecrease of chloritein the pedon in the forest, because weathering more is rational. In this pedon, The percentage of smectiteclaymineralin thesubsurfacehorizonis significantlyhigher thanthe soillevel. In alluvial plain soil the amount ofillitereducedandsmectitethere isa considerable amount that could beresult of smectite formation from the weathering of illite.In low lying soils due to aquic condition, condition provided for smectite authigenesis, and smectite in these soils are also found to be significant.As a result, smectitehastwo pedogenicsources(soil solution) andillite and chloritemineralsismodified.
Keywords:Catena, Lowlands, Miankaleh
Keywords:Catena, Lowlands, Miankaleh

Keywords


1.Allen, B.L., and Hajek, B.F. 1989.
An introduction to soil mineralogy.
P 199-278. In: J.B. Dixon and S.B. Weed.
(eds.), Minerals in Soil Environments, 2nd
ed. SSSA Book Ser. Madison, WI.
2.Amini, A. 1995. Origin and deposition
mechanism of the loess in Gharetikan
watershed, Golestan Province. M.Sc.
Thesis. Tehran University, 175p.
3.Behshahr. Map of number 6763. Geology
department and mineral discussions of
Country.
4.Bhattacharyya, T., Pal, D.K., and
Deshpande, S.B. 1992. Genesis and
transformation of minerals in the
formation of red (Alfisols) and black
(Inceptisols and Vertisols) soils on
Deccan basalt in Western Ghats, India.
J. Soil Sci. 44: 159-171.
5.Bonifacio, E., Zanini, E., Boero, V., and
Franchini-Angela, M. 1997. Pedogenesis
in a soil catena on serpentinite in northwestern
Italy. Geoderma. 75: 33-51.
6.Bouyoucos, G.J. 1962. Hydrometer method
improved for making particle size analysis
of soils. Agron. J. 54: 464-465.
7.Bullock, P., Federoff, N., Jongerius, A.,
Stoops, Tursina, G., and Babel, T.
1985. Handbook for soil thin section
Description. Wainer research Publication,
Wolverhampton, U.K. 152p.
8.Burnett, A.D., Fookes, P.G., and
Robertson, R.H.S. 1972. An engineering
soil at Kermanshah, Zagros Mountains,
Iran. Clay Miner. 9: 329-343.
9.Cremeens, D.L., and Mokma, D.L. 1987.
Fine Clay Mineralogy of Soil Matrics
and Clay Films in Two Michigan
Hydrosequences. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.
51: 1378-1381.
10.Curi, N., and Franzmier, D.P. 1984.
Toposequence of Oxisols from the
central plateau of Brazil. Soil Sci. Soc.
Am. J. 48: 341-346.
11.Dixon, J.B., and Weed, S.B. 1992.
Minerals in soil environments. Second
edition. SSSA. Madison, Wisconsin,
U.S.A., 1244p.
12.Dumon, M., Tolossa, A.R., Capon, B.,
Detavernier, C., and Van Ranst, E. 2014.
Quantitative clay mineralogy of a Vertic
Planosol in southwestern Ethiopia:
Impact on soil formation hypotheses.
Geoderma. 214-215: 184-196.
13.Gerrard, J.G. 1992. Soils Geomorphology.
An Integration of Pedology and
Geomorphology. Chapman & Hall, New
York. 269p.
14.Ghasemi, M.R., and Mosaferi. 2004.
Map and report of Sheet Geology.
Geological Survey of Iran.
15.Ghergherechi, Sh., and Khormali, F.
2008. Distribution and origin of clay
minerals influenced by ground-water
table and land use in south-west
Golestan province. J. Agric. Sci. Natur.
Resour. 15: 3. 18-30. (In Persian)
16.Gunal, H., and Ransom, M.D. 2006.
Genesis and micromorphology of loessderived
soils from central Kansas.
Catena. 65: 222-236.
17.Haghnia, G.H., and Lakzian, A. 1996.
Soil Genesis and Classification. Mashhad
Ferdowsi University. 616p. (In Persian)
18.Hargarit, R., and Liversey, N.T. 1975.
Mineralogical and chemical properties of
Serpentine soils in northeast Scottland.
In: S.W. Baily (eds.), proceeding
international clay conference, Mexico
City. 655p.
19.Hook, P.B., and Burke, I.C. 2000.
Biogeochemistry in a shortgrass landscape:
control by topography, soil texture, and
microclimate. Ecology. 81: 2686-2703.
20.Hussain, M.S., Amadi, T.H., and
Sulaiman, M.S. 2003. Characteristics of
soils of a toposequence in northeastern
Iraq. Geoderma. 33: 63-82.
21.Jackson, M.L. 1975. Soil Chemical
Analysis. Advanced Course. University
of Wisconsin, College of Agriculture,
Department of Soils. Madison,
Wisconsin, USA. 930p.
22.Johns, W.D., Grim, R.E., and Bradley,
W.F. 1954. Quantitative estimation of
clay minerals by diffraction methods.
J. Sed. Petrol. 24: 242-251.
23.Kemper, W.D., and Rosena, R.C. 1986.
Aggregate stability and size distribution.
P 425-442. In: A. Klute, (ed.), Methods
of Soil Analysis. Part I: Physical
Analysis. SSSA. Madison, WI.
24.Khomo, L., Hartshorn, A., Rogers, K.,
and Chadwick, O. 2011. Impact of
rainfall and topography on the
distribution of clays and major cations in
granitic catenas of southern Africa.
Catena. 87: 119-128.
25.Khormali, F., and Abtahi, A. 2001. Soil
genesis and mineralogy of three selected
regions of Fars, Bushehr and Khozestan
province of Iran, formed under highly
calcareous conditions. Iran Agr. Res.
20: 67-82.
26.Khormali, F., and Abtahi, A. 2003.
Origin and distribution of clay minerals
in calcareous arid and semi-arid soils of
Fars Province, Southern Iran. Clay
Miner. 38: 511-527.
27.Khormali, F., and Kehl, M. 2011.
Micromorphology and development of
loess-derived surface and buried soils
along a precipitation gradient in
Northern Iran. Quaternary International.
234: 109-123.
28.Khormali, F., Abtahi, A., and Tazikeh,
H. 2012. Clay Minerals (Characteristics,
Identification). Gorgan University of
Agricultural Sciences and Natural
Resources. Press, 300p. (In Persian)
29.Kittrick, J.A., and Hope, E.W. 1963. A
procedure for particle size separation of
soils for X-ray diffraction analysis. Soil
Sci. 96: 312-325.
30.Malla, P.B. 2002. Vermiculites. In:
Soil Mineralogy with Environmental
Application. SSSA Book Series. No 7.
866p.
31.Mehra, O.P., and Jackson., M.L. 1960.
Iron oxide removal from soils and clays
by a dithionite citrate system with
sodium bicarbonate. Clays Clay Miner.
7: 317-327.
32.Milne, G. 1935. Some suggested units for
classification and mapping, particularly
for East African soils. Soil Research.
4: 183-198.
33.Nabiollahy, K., Khormali, F., and
Ayoubi, Sh. 2006. Formation of
Mollisols as affected by landscape
position and depth of groundwater in
Kharkeh Research Station, Kurdestan
province. J. Agric. Sci. Natur. Resour.
13: 4. 20-30. (In Persian)
34.Naidu, R., Mitchell, B.D., and
Machenzie, R.C. 1994. Effect of
drainage on characteristics of some soils
of the Orkney Island (Y.U). Aust. J. Soil
Res. 32: 519-534.
35.Nelson, R.E. 1982. Carbonate and
gypsum. P???????. In: A.L. Page, (ed.).
Methods of Soil Analysis. Part II.
American Society of Agronomy,
Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
36.Page, M.C., Sparks, D.L., Noll, M.R., and
Hendricks, G.J. 1987. Kinetics and
mechanisms of potassium release from
sandy Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain soils.
Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51: 1460-1465.
37.Pedology semi-detailed report of Gorgan
peroject. 1963. Independent business of
irrigation of Pedology institute. Soil
and Water Research Institute of Iran.
(In Persian)
38.Sanjari, S., Farpoor, M.H., Karimian Eghbal,
M., and Esfandiarpoor Brojeni, A. 2011.
How to Formation, micromorphology and
clay mineralogy of soils located on various
geomorphic levels in Jiroft area. J. Soil
Water (Agr. Sci. Tech.). 25: 411-425.
(In Persian)
39.Schaetzl, R.J. 2013. Catenas and soils.
P 145-158. In: G.A. Pope, (ed.), Treatise
on Geomorphology. Academic Press,
San Diego, CA, vol. 4, Weathering and
Soils Geomorphology.
40.Schaetzl, R., and Anderson, S. 2005.
Soils: Genesis and Geomorphology.
Cambridge University Press. NY. 817p.
41.Soil Survey Manual. 1993. USDA
Handbook Vol. 18 US Gov. Printing
Office. 603p.
42.Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Keys to Soil
taxonomy. 11th edition. Soil Manage.
Support. Serv. Tech. Mongr. 19.
Pocahntas. Press, Blacksubg, VA. 372p.
43.Viennet, J.C., Hubert, F., Ferrage, E.,
Tertre, E., Legout, A., and Turpault, M.P.
2015. Investigation of claymineralogy in
a temperate acidic soil of a forest using
X-ray diffraction profile modeling:
Beyond the HIS and HIV description.
Geoderma. 241-242: 75-86.
44.World Reference Base for Soil
Resources. 2014. World Soil Resources
Reports 106. FAO, Rome. 181p.