Abstract
Palaeosols have long been studied as valuable records of past climate and landscape changes. The influence of palaeosols on the functioning of present-day landscapes is receiving closer attention due to the relevance of palaeosols on long-term hydrological processes and the future hydrological and erosive response of catchments. This study describes a sequence of interbedded colluvial sedimentary deposits and buried palaeosols exposed by gully erosion in the Drakensberg escarpment foothills in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Model simulations are presented that explore present-day hydrological effects of pedogenetic and textural differentiation under conditions of groundwater lowering caused by gully erosion at 14 sites. The results suggest that the colluvial deposits and palaeosols cause a significant increase in total annual drainage from most of the 14 studied sites compared with similar sites without texturalor structural differentiation. In the simulations, sediment deposition, not palaeosol formation, has the most profound influence on the present-day hydrological functioning of the catchment: a true deposystem service. Effects of the limited palaeosol development on soil water holding capacity and actual soil water storage appear to be negligible.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
