Abstract
Lack of detailed soil data has been a major constraint to hydrological modeling and making of agronomic decisions in the Koupendri Catchment. A soil survey was carried out to characterize and classify the soils of the 11.8 km2 catchment using Soil and Terrain (SOTER) approach. The soils were classified using the soil taxonomy (USDA) and the world reference base for soil resources (WRB) classification systems. The soil map produced at a scale of 1:25000 using FAO/UNESCO legend showed five distinct soil types. The dominant soil type - Dystric Plinthosols - covered about 55% of the area and supports few crop productions but make plantation agriculture almost impossible. The soils are slightly acidic to alkaline, predominantly silty to clayey in texture with good to imperfect drainage, low permeability and high bulk density that impedes root growth. The poor soil organic carbon content, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, base saturation and other basic exchangeable cations with moderately leached horizons indicated low-moderate fertility status of less weathered soils. The soils belong to three major soil orders: Ultisols, Inceptisols and Alfisols (USDA), and reference soil groups: Plinthosols, Cambisols, Luvisols and Gleysols (WRB). The WRB gave a better and detailed soil classification compared to USDA, and thus should be used in subsequent classification of soils in the region. Key words: Soil and terrain (SOTER), ultisols, alfisols, inceptisols, plinthosols, cambisols, luvisols, gleysols.
Highlights
Soil is a basic natural resource with widespread utilization ranging from agriculture, forestry, and other engineering and environmental purposes such as hydrological modeling
The soil map of Koupendri catchment was produced using both field observable features and analytical results based on Soil and Terrain (SOTER) approach
Plinthosols which are characteristic of strongly weathered soils (FAO, 1988) consist more than 55% of the catchment soils compared to other soil types; Gleysols, Luvisols and Cambisols (Figure 3)
Summary
Soil is a basic natural resource with widespread utilization ranging from agriculture, forestry, and other engineering and environmental purposes such as hydrological modeling. The importance of soil data for sound environmental and natural resource management has been reported (McKenzie et al, 2000). Reliable soil data is a prerequisite for hydrological and environmental modeling, as well as for the design of appropriate land-use systems and soil management practices. This will help to arrest further degradation and rehabilitate the potentials of degraded soils, as well as for a better understanding of the environment (FAO, 2006a). Such reliable soil information is obtained through examination and description of the soil in the field. Most soil surveys result in the preparation of a soil map alongside a soil or scientific report which gives the inventory of the soils found in the area, their geographic distribution, physical and chemical characteristics, and climate and land use together with interpretations comparing different land use
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