Abstract
Alfisols in USA taxonomy are “deciduous forest” soils having an argillic horizon with a base saturation in the control section greater than 35%. Alfisols are geographically extensive and support productive agriculture and deciduous forest ecosystems. Understanding Alfisol genesis, including the presence and intensity of the dominant soil processes, facilitates best management practices that provide stewardship for these soil resources and improves forest and agriculture productivity. Four Alfisols, presently having mature forest settings and located in the central United States along the Mississippi River, were selected for soil and landscape description, classification, and delineation of the dominant soil forming processes. Excavated soils were described and routinely sampled for subsequent physical, chemical, and mineralogical analysis. An aqua regia digestion protocol provided elemental analysis for identifying and inferring the intensity of soil forming processes. The dominant soil forming factors include 1) organic matter accumulation, 2) clay eluviation-illuviation, 3) acidification, 4) base cation accumulation in the A horizons by the forest vegetation, 5) Fe-oxyhydroxide formation, and 6) clay mineral synthesis. Two soils were developed entirely in Peoria loess and two soils were developed in Peoria Loess overlying Ordovician limestone residuum. Ecological site descriptions provide land managers information for evaluating land suitability and the capability to implement different management activities without ecosystem disturbance. Best management practices for the described landforms and based on their Ecological Site Descriptions are presented.
Highlights
Alfisols are a soil order in USA “Keys of Soil Taxonomy” (Soil Survey Staff, 2014)
Alfisols in USA taxonomy are “deciduous forest” soils having an argillic horizon with a base saturation in the control section greater than 35%
One requirement of Alfisols is the presence of an argillic horizon, coupled with the requirement of having a base saturation greater than 35% in the argillic horizon control section
Summary
Alfisols are typically developed under mixed forests in temperate climates that maintain a low to moderate level of soil organic matter, a neutral to acidic pH and have a moderate degree of base saturation. One requirement of Alfisols is the presence of an argillic horizon, coupled with the requirement of having a base saturation greater than 35% in the argillic horizon control section. The argillic horizon is formed by the illuviation of clay and this horizon usually has clay coatings on ped faces or clay bridges among the sand grains (Soil Survey Staff, 2014). Missouri Alfisols usually have udic moisture regimes and support deciduous forest vegetation (Buol et al, 2003)
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