Effect of Topography and Slope on Formation and Development of Calcareous Soils in North-Eastern Part of Lattakia Governorate, Syria
Samar Ghanem(1) Alaa Khallouf*(2,3) Ahmad Majar(2) and Adel Rukia(1)
(1). Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.
(2). General Commission for scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.
(3). Department of soil and Land Reclamation, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Baath University, Homs, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Alaa Khallouf. E-Mail: alaakhallouf@gmail.com).
Received: 16/08/2020 Accepted: 05/09/2020
Abstract
This study aimed to highlight on soil genesis and some diagnostic characteristics and its relation with topographic location in the north-eastern part of Lattakia governorate. Three soil profiles (P27, P10 and P09) were dug on various calcareous parent materials in April 2018, and were chosen as a topographic Catena: P27 was on the upper slope (summit), P10 was on the middle (back slope), while P09 was on the bottom (foot slope). Soil profiles were prepared and described based on the referenced methods. Samples were collected from each pedogenic horizon and some physical and chemical analyses were performed, in addition, the mineral composition analysis was carried out using X-Ray Diffraction. The topographic factor showed direct and indirect effects on some diagnostic characteristics of studied soils, including soil depth, color, structure, organic matter percentage, distribution of carbonates, and development of some surface and subsurface diagnostic horizons, whereas the clay distribution was not affected by topographic factor. It was concluded that the topographic factor and slope gradient had an important impact on some soils characteristics and development, thus, according to USDA Soil Taxonomy the classification of soils were as following: Entisols represented by p27, Mollisols which represented by p10, and Inceptisols which represented by p09.
Key words: Formation processes, Mineral composition, Slope gradient, Diagnostic characteristics, Topographic factor.
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How to cite this article – APA Style
Ghanem, S., Khallouf, A., Majar, A., & Rukia, A. (2020). Effect of topography and slope on formation and development of calcareous soils in north-eastern part of Lattakia Governorate, Syria. Research Journal of Science, 1(2), 12–23.