Effects on soil properties of vertic movements in Calcisols from southern Spain

Abstract

The analytical, mineralogical and micromorphological characteristics of Calcisols are studied here, in order to improve their genesis and influence in soil properties. Two main features stand out: one being of a colluvial nature, consisting molasses and bioclastic molasses (postorogenic marine detrital sediments whose origin is the upper-middle Miocene) over primitive haplic Vertisols, with appearance of subsurface gilgai microrelief, non visible from the ground and, the other, being the appearance of a calcic horizon resulting from the leaching and translocation of carbonates proceeding from the colluvial material. The former Vertisol had suffer an erosion process which removed its A horizon and later was produced new material deposition. The deposited carbonated material was loose, becoming soils in Calcisols. As a result of the vertic movements, the subsurface gilgai in the boundary between the new deposited and former material, which remains buried, show the higher degree of undulation in front of non buried Vertisols, by polynomial equations.