Genesis and stability of textural pedofeatures along a soil transect in the siliceous Iberian Chain (NE Spain)

Textural features are widespread in many soils, provide pedogenetic evidence, and are fundamental in soil classification systems. The presence of these features and their conservation over time require certain processes and soil forming factors. This study investigates the genesis of textural pedofe...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Badía Villas, David, Poch, Rosa M., Longares, Luis A., Yuste, Alfonso, Bauluz, Blanca
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Recursos:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10459.1/73163
Acesso em linha:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2021.105965
http://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/73163
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Clay coatings
Clay infillings
Deformed pedofeatures
Micromorphology
Classification
Polygenetic soils
Revestiments
Argila
Descrição
Resumo:Textural features are widespread in many soils, provide pedogenetic evidence, and are fundamental in soil classification systems. The presence of these features and their conservation over time require certain processes and soil forming factors. This study investigates the genesis of textural pedofeatures, especially clay coatings, and the stressful conditions that can eventually lead to their disappearance. To achieve this goal, four profiles with clay-enriched horizons have been studied (macro- and micromorphology, physical, chemical and mineralogical properties and classification) along a transect in the siliceous Iberian Chain (NE-Spain). The profiles, which have unmistakable illuvial accumulations in various horizons (Bhs, Bt, Btk), are classified (ST/WRB) as: a Spodosol/Podzol in the headslope, two Alfisol/Luvisols in the backslope and an Alfisol/Calcisol in the footslope. For the latter soil, the apparently strong difference in their classification to the first hierarchical level is due to the weight that the WRB places on the presence of an argic recarbonated horizon on a calcic horizon. Clay illuviation was identified in all the soils, with coatings and infillings of microlaminated clay. These clayey pedofeatures are mostly mechanically fragmented or deformed, which is micromorphologically evidenced by an undulating, wavy extinction that does not run completely parallel to the surfaces they cover. Different destructive processes are identified along the soil transect; so, cryoturbation is the dominant process in the Podzol located at the highest elevation (Moncayo Massif). Instead, the clay coatings in the Btk horizon of the footslope (Calcisol) are covered and deformed by the growth of secondary calcite. The textural pedofeatures in this soil, which is very clayey, can also undergo argilloturbation processes, like in the backslope soils (Luvisols). In conclusion, several ongoing stress processes, that sometimes require different environmental conditions (polygenetic), affect most textural pedofeatures and lead to their progressive alteration and disappearance.