Soil‐landscape relationships in Siwalik Hills of the semiarid tract of Punjab, India

Abstract

Remotely sensed satellite data of IRS‐lB‐LISS‐1 have been analyzed to delineate five different geomorphic surfaces in the Siwalik hills in a semiarid tract of the Punjab state in northwest India. Soils from unstable geomorphic surfaces (shoulder, toeslope, and rivulet) showed A‐C profiles, while soils developed on relatively stable geomorphic surfaces (backslope and footslope) had a well‐developed cambic horizon and showed A‐Bw‐C profile development. Topography, along with the nature of parent material and time, was found to be responsible for the pedogenic differences in the soils developed on different landscapes. The eroded soils from shoulder and toeslope were classified as Typic Ustorthents, and the coarse‐textured soils from rivulet as Typic Ustipsamments. The moderately developed soils from backslope and footslope were classified as Typic Ustochrepts. This study established a well‐defined relationship between geomorphic surfaces and development of soils. Concatenation of soils on these geomorphic surfaces was the result of surface and subsurface movement of materials.