Particularities of the Soil Layers in the Catchment of the Stemnic (Buda)

Abstract

Abstract The Stemnic river (Buda) is a right side affluent of Bârlad river, with the surface of the catchment basin of 15,662.5 ha. Situated in the central part of the Central Moldavian Plateau, the catchment of the Stemnic (Buda) is characterized by an oblong form (30.5 km, respectively 8.5 km), having a lithologic homogeneity, but also by a diversity of the superficial deposits (eluvia, diluvia, colluvia and proluvia, alluvia). The fields in the catchment basin of the Stemnic (Buda) have been analyzed from the point of view of the soils’ quality, that have been classified into five quality classes. Besides the intrinsic characteristics of the soils, their classification included also the pedo-chemical properties of the lands, geomorphologic or climatic properties of the area. First, second and the third quality classes are predominant in the lower half of the catchment basin, less fragmentary, with prolonged cuesta reverses, corresponding to the distribution area of the chernosols. The lands that form part of the fourth quality class are distributed, in a great percentage, on the same types of soil, but represent greater constrains because of the abrupt cliffs. The fourth class is made up of the lands with severe limitations that reduce the range of agricultural crops or that need special measures or work in order to protect and ameliorate the soil’s resources. This class cumulates a percentage of 9%, being characteristic for the area affected by landslides, prevalent mainly in North-West part of the catchment of the Stemnic (Buda). In the fifth class there are included soils with major constrains for agricultural use. From this perspective, in the catchment, there are predominant the soils in the third quality class (37%), being followed by the second class (26%) and the first class (23%). The main limitative factors for the agricultural production of the lands in the catchment of the Stemnic (Buda) are the erosion in surface, the landslides, humidity excess and the small quantity of nutritive elements.