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Soil Organic Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Quantities in Northern Great Plains Rangeland
Author(s) -
Aguilar R.,
Heil R. D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1988.03615995005200040033x
Subject(s) - soil water , organic matter , total organic carbon , oil shale , sediment , environmental science , soil science , erosion , nitrogen , soil organic matter , siltstone , humus , geology , environmental chemistry , ecology , chemistry , geomorphology , paleontology , organic chemistry , facies , structural basin , biology
Soils were characterized in North Dakota rangeland along toposequences formed in sandstone, siltstone, and shale parent materials to evaluate quantities of organic C, N, P, and total P. Distribution of these soil constituents varied systematically with parent material and landscape position along the three toposequences, and generally increased upon moving downslope. The fine‐textured soils formed in shale had greater quantities of organic C, N, and total P than the coarser‐textured soils derived from sandstone and siltstone parent materials. Soils formed in sandstone had greater quantities of organic P on all landscape segments. Greater quantities of organic constituents on lower landscape segments were attributed to both greater vegetative productivity and accretion of soil organic matter through sediment deposition. Variable total‐P contents along the toposequences reflected changes in parent material and redistribution of sediments by erosion.