Influence of Altitude on the Petrological Features of a Soil Climosequence in the Humid Tropical Zone of Cameroon

Bitom, Dieudonnr

doi:10.2174/1874262901307010014

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…This observation agrees with the accumulation process in the cracks in one hand, and in the other hand with the implication of those diaclasis in the transfer of ions through water flowing across the pedological cover. In addition, that observation implies also the lateral and vertical migration of aluminum in the Andosolic cover of the Bambouto Mounts; this theory of the migration of ions within pedological cover was demonstrated previously by [1,29,30,31,3,32]. The vitreous hardened matters deposited in the cracks of isalteritic blocks resemble the paving stone-like matters with smooth surface present in the hardened level of the pedological cover; we can then think that a genetic link exists between those two matters.…”

Section: The Vitreous Faciessupporting

confidence: 69%

Occurrence of Hardened Matters in the Andosolic Cover from the Western Highlands of Cameroon: Case Study of Those Risen on Trachyte in the Southern Side of the Bambouto Mountains

Tuebue¹,

Basga²,

Tematio³

et al. 2019

AJSSPN

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The aim of the present study is to acquire knowledge about the hardened materials present in the andosolic cover from the Bambouto Mounts. For that purpuse, petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics of the hardened materials, isalteritic blocks, and the parent rock were investigated in order to put into relief the different facies found, the genetic relationship between those geological matters, and the mechanism governing the formation and the evolution of the hardened materials found in the Andosols from the Bambouto mounts. These matters have low thickness, are highly hardened, with different aspects and locations. They are present within the soils, at the point of emergence of streams, on the flatty areas on top of hills and at the foot of interfluves. Microscopically, their plasmas are respectively isotic and cristic. Gibbsite, goethite, and halloysite are respectively their main minerals. Geochemically, both facies are highly aluminous. During the weathering, Sanidine changes sequentially into Allophane, Halloysite, and Gibbsite; Pyroxen and Ilmenite for their own contribute to the formation of Goethite. There is a direct genetic relationship between the hardened materials, the isalteritic blocks, and the parent rock. The uphill position is the eluvial part and the downhill position the illuvial part; this generates the evolution of the hardened materials from their translucent initial status towards their reddening and tanning final status. The characteristics of the hardened materials make them bauxitic hardened materials, organized into two different facies: A lithorelictuel and a vitreous facies. The presence of those hardened materials in the Andosols from the Western Highlands of Cameroon is harmful for farming. The present study is then a high contribution to the management of the mine ore deposit within the Western Highlands of Cameroon.

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Section: The Vitreous Faciessupporting

confidence: 69%

Occurrence of Hardened Matters in the Andosolic Cover from the Western Highlands of Cameroon: Case Study of Those Risen on Trachyte in the Southern Side of the Bambouto Mountains

Tuebue¹,

Basga²,

Tematio³

et al. 2019

AJSSPN

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“…Mountainous ecosystems are quite widespread in the intertropical zone [1] [2] [3]. Soils in such ecosystems are often very vulnerable due to demographic pressure associated with environmental conditions like rainfall and topography [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Properties and Land Capability Evaluation in a Mountainous Ecosystem of North-West Cameroon

Tamfuh¹,

Temgoua²,

Wotchoko³

et al. 2018

GEP

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Up to date, tropical mountainous ecosystems still lack in depth information on soil and environmental characteristics which are major factors limiting optimum crop production. The objective of this work was to study soil characteristics and to evaluate the land capability level for the production of some common tropical crops in mountainous ecosystem soils of North West Cameroon. Soil sampling was done following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications for three topographic positions (upslope, midslope and footslope) and at two depths (0 -20 cm and 20 -100 cm). It was completed by standard laboratory analyses. The fertility capability classification (FCC) system enabled to identify soil limitations and to classify soils into FCC units. Land and climate were evaluated by simple limitation and parametric methods. Globally, the soils were dark-colored, sandy clayey to clayey, compact and very acidic (pHH 2 O = 4.3 -5.8). The organic matter (3.7% -5.1% dry matter), total nitrogen (0.08% -0.56%) and available phosphorus (22.1 to 30.9 mg·kg −1 ) recorded for the 0 -20 cm depth then reduced with depth but midslope values were also lower. The C/N ratio varied between 9 and 45. Low C/N values appeared mostly in 0 -20 cm depth at the upslope and downslope soils and subsurface soils of midslope position. Exchangeable Ca was very low to low (1.43 -3.6 cmol + kg DOI: 10.4236/gep.2018.67002 16 Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection was the most relatively concentrated base in all the soils. There was a clear variation of most of the soil properties along the slope and with depth. The soils were classified in the FCC system as aek for the upslope soils, Caek for the midslope soils and Cagk for the footslope soils. The principal limitations to production of huckleberry, beans, maize and potatoes were heavy rainfall, wetness, steep slope, soil texture/structure and low soil fertility. These constraints might be overcome by farming at the end of the raining season, contour ploughing, terracing, fertilization and liming.

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“…The intertropical zone [66] has been subdivided into plateau landscapes (500 and 800 m altitude) surmounted by high plateaus (800 to 1800-2000 m) and mountainous massifs (>2000 m altitude) [67]. From a pedological point of view, the plateaus (Bokito site) and the high plateaus (Bambouto massif site) are characterized by very thick soils, yellow, red or purple in color [67,68] with the appearance of humus-bearing andosolic horizons above 1600 m [32]. The mountain massifs are the domain of andosols [30,67].…”

Section: The Agronomic Suitability (Aa)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This difference is related to the nature of the soils, which are yellow ferralitic in the Bokito site, while in the Bambouto massif they are red ferralitic in the lower part, andic ferralitic in the middle part and andosolic in the upper part. In fact, ferralitic soils have a low nutrient retention capacity [68,69], whereas tropical andosols are very fertile [7,11,31,32,60,70].…”

Section: The Agronomic Suitability (Aa)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Methodological approach for the evaluation and mapping of the agronomic suitability of soils in tropical zones: Case study of the Bambouto volcanic massif (Western Cameroon) and the Bokito district (Central Cameroon)

Olivier

Ouafo

Ndjigui

et al. 2023

PLOS Sustain Transform

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The main pillar of agriculture is the soil because it is both the support and the reservoir of essential nutrients for the plant. The food function it provides for humanity can only be fully fulfilled if it is balanced. Therefore, the development of sustainable agriculture in the world necessarily requires knowledge of the soil. The evaluation of agronomic suitability consists in determining its intrinsic capacity to sustain agricultural productivity over time. Many studies have been conducted in the domain of agricultural land assessment, but the applicability of the methods used in the tropical context requires adaptations that are not always obvious. The new methodological approach we propose for agronomic suitability assessment(AA) was designed and tested in Cameroon (Central Africa) in two pilot sites chosen in two different agro-ecological zones. The sites were the bimodal forest in Bokito which developed on yellow ferralitic soils, and the highland in the Bambouto volcanic massif which had a great pedological variability ranging from red ferralitic soils to andic ferralitic soils and andosols. The approach is inexpensive and based on the combination of four intrinsic soil parameters, namely acidity (pH), useful water reserve (RU), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and erodibility (K); according to the formula: AA = pH × RU × CEC × K. The unit of measurement is the « equivalent hour per mega joule per millimeter (eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1) ». The results showed that the agronomic suitability of the yellow ferralitic soils of Bokito varies from 0.00 to10.53 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1. On the volcanic massif of Bambouto, the agronomic aptitude varies from 0.00 to 15.70 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1 on the red ferralitic soils of the lower part of the massif, from 15.70 to 41.84 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1 on andic ferralitic soils of the middle part of the massif and reaches 108.85 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1 on the andosols of the summit part of the massif. This work could allow, on the one hand, a better allocation of agricultural land and thus participate in the development of second generation agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa; and on the other hand, contribute to determine more precisely the quality and quantity of fertilizer needed to maintain soil balance. Controlling the use of fertilizers will help to significantly reduce the quantities of chemical elements contained in agricultural products, limit water and soil pollution and thus better preserve human health.

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Influence of Altitude on the Petrological Features of a Soil Climosequence in the Humid Tropical Zone of Cameroon

Cited by 8 publications

References 11 publications

Occurrence of Hardened Matters in the Andosolic Cover from the Western Highlands of Cameroon: Case Study of Those Risen on Trachyte in the Southern Side of the Bambouto Mountains

Occurrence of Hardened Matters in the Andosolic Cover from the Western Highlands of Cameroon: Case Study of Those Risen on Trachyte in the Southern Side of the Bambouto Mountains

Soil Properties and Land Capability Evaluation in a Mountainous Ecosystem of North-West Cameroon

Methodological approach for the evaluation and mapping of the agronomic suitability of soils in tropical zones: Case study of the Bambouto volcanic massif (Western Cameroon) and the Bokito district (Central Cameroon)

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