Soil mapping and characterization of the Mapou basin, Haiti

Abstract

Soil mapping and characterization are extremely important, acting as a link between the preservation of the environment, sustainable agricultural practices as well as food-security, especially in one of the poorest and most food-insecure nations in the world. Soil mapping was carried out in the Mapou basin in the South-East Department of the Haiti, in order to contribute with the land use, agriculture planning, as well as soil conservation and food-security. Relationships with the different land uses and landscape attributes of the study area were determined. For this purpose, 24 soil profiles and three mini-trenches were dug, which were classified according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources – WRB. In this region, the most representative soils were classified as following: Regosols, Leptosols, Cambisols, Luvisols, Lixisols, Calcisols, Fluvisols, Chernozems and Acrisols. Haplic Lixisoils are the deepest soil class in the region. All soils are strongly influenced by the properties of the parent material. Overall, soils are eutrophic with low levels of available phosphorus. Also, soils are weakly developed, shallow and strongly susceptible to erosive processes due to the steep slope and removal of the soil coverage. Data presented in this work will guide sustainable agricultural practices and soil management in the long-term scenario.