Abstract
Soil chronofunctions are an alternative for the quantification of soil-forming processes and underlie the modeling of soil genesis. To establish soil chronofunctions of a Heilu soil profile on Loess in Luochuan, selected soil properties and the 14C ages in the Holocene were studied. Linear, logarithmic, and third-order polynomial functions were selected to fit the relationships between soil properties and ages. The results indicated that third-order polynomial function fit best for the relationships between clay (< 0.002 mm), silt (0.002-0.02 mm), sand (0.02-2 mm) and soil ages, and a trend of an Ah horizon ocurrence in the profile. The logarithmic function indicated mainly variations of soil organic carbon and pH with time (soil age). The variation in CaCO3 content, Mn/Zr, Fe/Zr, K/Zr, Mg/Zr, Ca/Zr, P/Zr, and Na/Zr ratios with soil age were best described by three-order polynomial functions, in which the trend line showed migration of CaCO3 and some elements.
Highlights
Since soil genesis can hardly be observed directly over decades and centuries, the research of soil chronosequences is the most suitable way to obtain quantitative knowledge on soil development (Vreeken, 1975; Bockheim, 1980)
The aim of this study was to characterize properties in a wellconstrained and dated Holocene Heilu soil profile, establishing soil chronofunctions to improve the understanding of soil formation and development with time, to provide a theoretical basis for predictions of soil recovery and data for modeling soil genesis (Finke & Hutson, 2008)
In the study of soil chronofunctions, based on soil properties and 14C ages in the Holocene of a typical soil (Heilu) profile developed from loess in Luochuan, linear, logarithmic, and third-order polynomial functions were used to fit the relationships between soil properties and soil ages
Summary
Since soil genesis can hardly be observed directly over decades and centuries, the research of soil chronosequences is the most suitable way to obtain quantitative knowledge on soil development (Vreeken, 1975; Bockheim, 1980). Soil chronofunctions have been equated with the mathematical expression of chronosequence data, typically utilizing correlations and curve-fitting, or some derived combination They are useful for studying pedogenesis, relative dating of surfaces and geologic events, and for predicting recovery rates of disturbed soils. Most of the soil chronosequence studies suggest linear, power, exponential or logarithmic changes of soil properties with time (Bockheim, 1980; Birkeland, 1984; Huggett, 1998). These functions are not always the best option for chronofunctions. After a chronofunction has been obtained from a data set, the y-intercept may be used to reconstruct the situation at time zero (Schaetzl et al, 1994)
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