Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4572407 | CATENA | 2008 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Petrocalcic horizons are frequent in soils of semiarid landscapes. A survey of SIC and SOC contents made in Southern Spain in a pilot area with well defined geomorphological surfaces showed that topsoils overlying petrocalcic horizons are almost twice as rich in SOC as soil of similar depth without petrocalcic horizons. This could be due to impedance to root penetration, changes in redox potential and soil water availability caused by the presence of indurated crust. Soil age, on the contrary, seems not be an essential factor, since only a short time is required to reach a steady state in SOC in comparison to the time span available for soil formation on the different geomorphic surfaces.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Authors
José L. Díaz-Hernández, Enrique Barahona Fernández,