the use of geological information for soil mapping, raimonda kasparinskis, faculty of geography and...

Raimonds Kasparinskis

Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia

THE USE OF GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION FOR

SOIL MAPPING

Problems of soil mapping in boreal-nemoral zone

High spatial diversity of soil cover (according to genetic classification and FAO WRB classification);

Deficiency of information about the genetic origin of geological deposits and forming time influence on soil distribution

Solutions / Hypothesis Soil diversity and its physical and

chemical properties in boreal-nemoral zone are dependent mainly on soil texture, that is determined by the genetic origin of geological deposits and forming time.

These factors impacts also forest stands distribution and development, which, conversely influences topsoil properties.

The Aim Clarify the opportunities of the

application of geological information for soil mapping according to FAO WRB classification in boreal-nemoral zone

Objectives of the study

What are the relationships of the spatial distribution in boreal-nemoral zone?

Soil groups and prefix qualifiers

(FAO WRB); Properties

(physical, chemical)

Quaternary deposits;

Properties (physical, chemical)

?

Raw data In Latvia, from 2006 till 2010, under the

international project „Inventarization of forest soils and assessment of forest biological diversity „BioSoil”” of the Focus Forest research programme (No.2152/2003) of the International Co-operative Programme (ICP) and the Europe first level forest monitoring, investigations were carried out on 95 sampling sites of ICP Forest monitoring and in 18 sampling sites within relatively poorly represented regions of this monitoring in 2011.

The research of soil distribution

The Results of Generalized Linear Models

EOLIAN sediments

BALTIC ICE LAKE sediments

GLACIO-LACUSTRINE

deposits

GLACI-GENIC deposits

ORGANIC deposits

GLACIO-FLUVIAL

deposits

Statistically significant correlations (the level of significance p<0.005)

The Results of Generalized Linear Models The use of prefix qualifiers of soil groups

(Example of Arenosols) Albic Rubic Ferralic Endogleyic Hypoferralic

EOLIAN sediments

BALTIC ICE LAKE sediments

GLACIOLACUSTRINE deposits

GLACIOFLUVIAL deposits

Statistically significant correlations (the level of significance p<0.005)

The Results of Generalized Linear Models The use of prefix qualifiers of soil groups

(Example of Podzols) Albic Histic Endogleyic

EOLIAN sediments

BALTIC ICE LAKE sediments

GLACIOLACUSTRINE deposits

GLACIOFLUVIAL deposits

Statistically significant correlations (the level of significance p<0.005)

The Results of physical and chemical properties in Principal Component Analysis

(mineral soil 0-10 cm depth)

The Results of physical and chemical properties in Principal Component Analysis

(mineral soil 0-10 cm depth)

The Results of physical and chemical properties in Principal Component Analysis

(mineral soil 40-80 cm depth)

The Results of physical and chemical properties in Principal Component Analysis

(mineral soil 40-80 cm depth)

Conclusions / Solutions Quaternary deposits and their composition is one

of the main factors, determining the spatial distribution of soil groups (FAO WRB) and physical and chemical properties.

The usage of the prefix qualifier of soil groups in

data processing enabled us to define more precisely the significant relationships between some particular distribution of Quaternary deposits and soils.

Conclusions / Solutions Determining the existing relationships facilitates

the future mapping of the boreo-nemorial region soils that have formed mainly on the Late Weichselian Glacial deposits, altered by postglacial aeolian, marine, lacustrine, alluvial and mire sediments on a regional scale of 1:50000.

Taking geological contours as a basis, it is possible to single out soil group associations in soil mapping, although it is difficult to single out separate soil groups.

Conclusions / Solutions

In perspective, it would be necessary to continue studies, clarifying the strengths and weaknesses of the FAO WRB soil classification and its application in the research of boreal-nemoral forest zone.

Publication

Kasparinskis R., Nikodemus O., 2012. Influence of environmental factors on the spatial distribution and diversity of forest soil in Latvia. Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences 61: 48-64.

doi: 10.3176/earth.2012.1.04

Thank You !

Raimonds.Kasparinskis@lu.lv