An approach to studying soil-landscape relationships in Virginia

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorStolt, Mark H.en
dc.contributor.committeecochairBaker, James C.en
dc.contributor.committeecochairSimpson, Thomas W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberZelazny, Lucian W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberCampbell, James B. Jr.en
dc.contributor.committeememberDaniels, W. Leeen
dc.contributor.departmentAgronomyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:20:56Zen
dc.date.adate2005-10-13en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:20:56Zen
dc.date.issued1990en
dc.date.rdate2005-10-13en
dc.date.sdate2005-10-13en
dc.description.abstractVarious methods and techniques were used to examine soil-landscape relationships for residual and colluvial soils of Virginia. Soil micromorphology indicated that although some BC and C horizons in the field appeared structureless, evidence of pedogenic process was observed. These were designated as either BCt, BC, or CB horizons depending on the amount of oriented clay and the rates of change with depth of clay, DCB extractable Fe, and sand contents. Soil variability was examined for the overall study, as well as within toposequences, pedons, and individual horizons. Most of the overall variability was attributed to differences between study sites or between horizons, with minimal amounts due to landscape position. Substantial lateral variability occurred within horizons indicating a strong need for subsampling within horizons of the same pedon. Lithologic discontinuities were found to be difficult to recognize without obvious field evidence. Reconstruction analysis was used to examine soil and saprolite formation. Summit and backslope soils were found to be essentially the same in both morphology and degree of profile development. Sand weathering and clay eluviation/illuviation were the major soil forming processes occurring within these soils. Footslope soils were less developed than associated summit and backslope soils, with both depositional and pedologic processes contributing to soil formation and development. Thickness of saprolite was found to decrease. from the summit to the footslope. Thicker saprolite at the summit was apparently related to the greater stability of the summit position compared to the backslope and footslopes. A bucket auger was modified to obtain undisturbed samples of deep saprolite for reconstruction analysis. Saprolite reconstruction indicated that between 20 and 36 % of the mass of the partially weathered rock, which is the precursor to saprolite, is lost during saprolite formation. Most of these losses were either Al or Si. Initial soil formation was shown to occur at a faster rate than saprolite formation, but after substantial profile development, soil formation is reduced to a rate below that of saprolite formation, and saprolite accumulates below the solum. Reconstruction analysis was found to be a valuable tool in studying soil-landscape relationships.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentvi, 255 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-10132005-152504en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10132005-152504/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/39797en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V856_1990.S764.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 22252057en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1990.S764en
dc.subject.lcshLandscape changes -- Research -- Virginiaen
dc.subject.lcshSoil formation -- Researchen
dc.titleAn approach to studying soil-landscape relationships in Virginiaen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineAgronomyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
LD5655.V856_1990.S764.pdf
Size:
14.81 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download

Collections

Doctoral Dissertations