Characterization and Classification of Toposequence Soils Units in The Zakhikha Region, West of Ramadi- Western Iraq

Abstract

Depending on the geomorphological map and digital elevations of the Zakhikha area, five sites that differ in topography and geomorphology and represent the soil units present in the area were selected.Their locations are geographically defined and locally represented pedons are excavated,disturbed soil samples representing each diagnosed horizon were obtained from them, and transferred to the laboratory for the purpose of conducting some physical measurements and chemical analyzes on them. The soils were classified according to the American classification for the year 2014 for the family level. So that we completed the classification to the level of the series according to the Al-Agidi proposal of 1976 and 1981 for sedimentary and developed soils respectively. To study the effect of the geomorphological site on soil characteristics in the topographical sequence.The results showed a significant effect of the geomorphological location on the morphological characteristics of the soil, the class of texture, and some soil chemical characteristics. Classically, the Entisols order was formed most of the soils of the region, with the TW415 (12.79%) and DE31(18.19) series which diagnosed within the foot slope and Toe slope units. As for the Aridisols order it constituted a smaller percentage of the total area of the study area, with a person under two sub order there are Calcids (14.82%) and Gypsids (21.76%), with a person under three sub great soil groups there are Typic Calcigypsids, Typic Haplocalcids and Typic Argigypsids.