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Regional and Catenary Variations in Properties of Borolls of Southern Saskatchewan, Canada
Author(s) -
Pennock D. J.,
Jong E.
Publication year - 1990
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/sssaj1990.03615995005400060032x
Subject(s) - udic moisture regime , landform , geology , soil science , mathematics , physical geography , geometry , geomorphology , geography , soil water , loam
The spatial pattern of soil properties results from systematic variations in the type and intensity of soil‐forming processes and from random variations superimposed on the systematic variations. We examined the thickness of A horizons and depths to CaCO 3 at 21 sites in southern Saskatchewan to determine whether systematic differences occurred among soil‐moisture regimes of Borolls and among landform elements in catenas. The mean thickness of A horizons was thinnest for the aridic Borolls ( x̄ = 15.3 cm) and ustic Borolls ( x̄ = 15.2 cm) and thickest in the udic Borolls ( x̄ = 18.4 cm), reflecting the regional moisture gradient. The regional differences in mean depth to CaCO 3 were contrary to the expected pattern: mean depths were smallest for the ustic Borolls ( x̄ = 29.9 cm) and greatest for the aridic ( x̄ = 34.1 cm) and the udic ( x̄ = 34.9 cm) Borolls. A consistent pattern was associated with landform elements in soil catenas. The smallest means for both properties were associated with shoulder and backslope elements with convex across‐slope curvatures, and the greatest means for footslope elements with concave across‐slope curvatures. The range in mean values of the two properties among landform elements within a catena was consistently an order of magnitude greater than the regional differences among soil subgroups.