HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ahmad, M. Articles by Paeth, R. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Ahmad, M. Articles by Paeth, R. C. Agricola Articles by Ahmad, M. Articles by Paeth, R. C.

Soil Development as a Function of Time in The Punjab River Plains of Pakistan¹

ABSTRACT

Three soil series; Shahdara (Ustifluent), Sultanpur, (Ustochrept) and Bhalwal (Haplustalf), representing a chronosequence from the Punjab River plains of Pakistan, were studied with respect to morphological, chemical, physical, and mineralogical properties. These soils, developed in mixed mineral alluvium, represented the late Holocene, middle Holocene, and late Pleistocene surfaces and were estimated to be less than 100 years, around 2,300 years, and between 10,000 and 20,000 years old respectively. With increasing soil age, horizon differentiation and solum thickness increased while cutans and CaCO₃ concretions occurred in the oldest Bhalwal soil. Topsoil CEC and TEB values increased while both CaCO₃ content and the Ca:Mg ratio decreased. Significant changes occurred in the ratio of acid oxalate to citrate-dithionite extractable iron (Fe ratio). Textural gradation was in evidence in the two older soils. Illite and chlorite tended to decrease, and vermiculite and montmorillonite to increase with soil age. Despite variability in parent materials due to depositional stratification and preweathering, the changes in soil properties with age were mainly attributed to processes of soil formation.

¹ Contribution from the Dep. of Soils and Irrigation, American Univ. of Beirut, Lebanon. Received 6 Oct. 1976. Approved 18 July 1977. Journal No. 486, Sci. Paper Series No. 263.

² Former Graduate Student and currently Assistant Director, Soil Survey of Pakistan, Lahore; Assistant Professor, and former Assistant Professor, currently Soil Scientist, Dep. of Environ. Qual., Portland, Oregon.