Contribution to the knowledge of a solonetsic, magnesium-rich alluvial silty clay in the Maro-Koembe plain.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18174/njas.v15i1.17448Abstract
Soil survey and analysis of several profiles showed that the alluvial sediment was in an early stage of soil formation. Chemical analysis showed that it would eventually become a natraqualf. Studies of cation-exchange characteristics and of the soil solution suggested that Ca2+was removed more intensively than Mg2+ from the surface layer. However, Mg2+ was released strongly by weathering of minerals, but before being released into solution it was adsorbed so that there was high Mg-saturation of the exchange complex. A distribution coefficient of 1.2 for the Ca/Mg exchange equilibrium would be expected but a higher coefficient (1.4) in the A horizons of the most strongly leached soils was probably due to organic matter; a lower coefficient (1.0) in the deeper horizons was due to the mechanism of Mg release described above. Distribution coefficients for Ca/Na and Mg/Na exchange equilibria were 1.8 (Gapon) and 1.3 (Vanselow or Heald et al). It seemed possible to forecast the changes in cation-exchange characteristics that would result from further leaching and to predict the group to which the soils would finally belong. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)Downloads
Published
1967-02-01
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Papers