Parent material influence on soil distribution and genesis in a Paleudult and Kandiudult complex, southeastern USA

Abstract

Parent materials greatly influence soil development and the distribution of soils on the southeastern US Coastal Plain. We examined the physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of 11 pedons in a 1-ha plot on the Upper Coastal Plain of Georgia, USA. Uniformity of parent materials was assessed by sand grain size characteristics. The soils have sandy epipedons of variable thickness and argillic horizons of variable texture. Six of the pedons also have kandic horizons. They are classified (US Soil Taxonomy) in Psammentic, Grossarenic, Arenic, and Typic subgroups of Paleudults and Kandiudults. Loamy pedons possess argillic horizons with two distinct increases in clay and greater differences between eluvial and illuvial horizons than sandy pedons. The upper boundary of the argillic horizon is approximately parallel to the present geomorphic surface, suggesting that it is associated with the contemporary surface. Discontinuities, identified by changes in sand grain size ratios and plots of the third (skewness) and fourth (kurtosis) moments of sand grain distribution, roughly correspond to the bottom of the solum. Our data suggest that there are both eolian and fluvial components in the solum, whereas subjacent horizons are completely derived from fluvial deposits. Sandier pedons have greater gibbsite/kaolinite ratios, possibly because greater permeability has enhanced leaching and Si loss. Our data suggest parent materials largely control soil distribution over this plot.