The Genesis of a Gray Luvisol Within the Boreal Forest Region. I. Static Pedology

Howitt, R. W.; Pawluk, S.

doi:10.4141/cjss85-001

Cited by 29 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The unweathered sandy loam Reid morainal parent materials is strongly acid, as is the entire solum of the Diversion Creek paleosol profile presented in Table IV. A slight increase in organic carbon within the MBt is consistent with the process of lessivage as reported by HOWITT and PAWLUK (1985). Similar increases in pyrophosphate-extractable Fe and Al are not observed.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Pedological Investigations of Pleistocene Glacial Drift Surfaces in the Central Yukon

Smith¹,

Tarnócai²,

Hughes³

2007

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Distinct soil morphologies associated with three different ages of Quaternary glacial deposits are characterized and subsequently named. Properties which provide a basis for distinguishing these in the field include solum depth, B horizon colour, clay skin development, coarse fragment weathering and periglacial features. A strong relationship is evident between the clay content at depth and the age of soil. Low values of Na pyrophosphate-extractable Fe and Al confirm the absence of any active podzol-forming processes even within the reddest (5YR, 2.5YR) soil horizons. Wounded Moose paleosols are the preserved soils observed on pre-Reid Glaciation (.2-1.2 Ma) deposits which show strong paleoargillic horizon development with red colours, high clay content, and common periglacial modification. Diversion Creek paleosols are the preserved soils found on Reid (80-120 ka) glacial deposits which show moderate paleoargillic horizon development and resemble the contemporary Gray Luvisols of the mid and southern boreal forest regions of Canada. Stewart soils are the weakly developed Brunisols formed on stable landform surfaces of McConnell (14-30 ka) glacial deposits. The Wounded Moose and Diversion Creek paleosols, while found commonly in local areas, occupy only a small proportion of the regional landscape.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Pedological Investigations of Pleistocene Glacial Drift Surfaces in the Central Yukon

Smith¹,

Tarnócai²,

Hughes³

2007

gpq

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“…1) (Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network 1996) that occur on common claydominated till deposits (Pawluk and Bayrock 1969). Gray Luvisols have fine-textured subsoil horizons (Howitt and Pawluk 1985) that restrict percolation (Coen and Wang 1989). Snowmelt is a particularly important period for the hydrologic cycle in the Boreal region of Canada, with 25 to 35% of annual precipitation typically occurring in winter months (Environment Canada 2002a).…”

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confidence: 99%

Patterns of water movement on a logged Gray Luvisolic hillslope during the snowmelt period

Whitson¹,

Chanasyk²,

Prepas³

2004

Can. J. Soil. Sci.

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. 2004. Patterns of water movement on a logged Gray Luvisolic hillslope during the snowmelt period. Can. J. Soil Sci. 84: 71-82. Hillslope flow processes during the snowmelt period were studied at a logged site in the Boreal Plain Ecozone of western Canada. Fine-textured subsoils of Gray Luvisolic soils and soil frost were hypothesized to reduce infiltration capacity and promote interflow. Liquid soil water content, saturated flow through upper horizons, and soil temperature were monitored by Time Domain Reflectometry probes, zero-tension flow collectors, and thermocouples, respectively, on a 0.5-ha site with a 13% slope. Soil water content increased abruptly during snowmelt while soil temperature in the upper 65 cm was near 0°C, indicating that infiltration capacity was high despite frost. Mineral soil thawed 2 wk after snowmelt. Less than 0.1 mm of the 87 mm snow water equivalent became interflow. Size and timing of interflow events were variable and related to increased soil water content. The largest event occurred during soil thaw, and contributed 84% of total interflow. The lower Ae horizon was the preferred route for this flow, suggesting that the flowpath was not influenced by frost. Low pre-melt soil moisture probably reduced interflow volume. Interflow in Gray Luvisols is likely an infrequent happening due to high profile moisture storage capacity and rare development of the necessary saturated conditions. Key words: Snowmelt, infiltration, frozen soil, boreal, hydrologic flowpath, Luvisol Whitson, I. R., Chanasyk, D. S. et Prepas, E. E. 2004. Déplacement de l'eau dans un luvisol gris en pente noyé pendant la fonte des neiges. Can. J. Soil Sci. 84: 71-82. Les auteurs ont étudié l'écoulement de l'eau le long d'une pente durant la fonte des neiges, sur un site noyé de l'écozone des plaines boréales, dans l'ouest du Canada. On présumait que le sous-sol à texture fine des luvisols gris et le gel réduiraient la capacité d'infiltration et favoriseraient un écoulement divergent. Les chercheurs ont respectivement déterminé la teneur en eau liquide du sol, l'écoulement dans les horizons supérieurs au point de saturation et la température du sol au moyen de réflectomètres temporels, de collecteurs à tension nulle et de couples thermiques sur un site de 0,5 ha présentant une déclivité de 13 %. La teneur en eau du sol s'accroît de manière abrupte à la fonte, bien que la température dans la couche supérieure de 65 cm du sol approche 0°C, signe que la capacité d'infiltration demeure très élevée malgré le gel. Le sol minéral dégèle deux semaines après la fonte des neiges. L'écoulement divergent produit moins de 0,1 mm des 87 mm du volume équivalent d'eau issu de la neige. Les écoulements divergents varient en importance et dans le temps, et présentent un lien avec la hausse de la teneur en eau du sol. L'événement le plus important est survenu pendant le dégel du sol et représentait 84 % de la totalité des écoule-ments divergents. À ce moment, l'eau a surtout emprunté l'horizon Ae inférieur, ce qui explique pourquoi l...

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“…There is also evidence to suggest that increased earthworm activity in forested Luvisolic soils has altered the soil carbon balance of the mineral A horizons in the last 30-40 years. Lejoly et al (2021) sampled pedons in the forest preserve at the Breton Plots showing significant evidence of earthworm activity (Ahu horizons) and these pedons have a markedly different soil carbon distributions compared to the forested pedons sampled by Izaurralde et al (2001) and Howitt and Pawluk (1985). Lejoly reported SOC stocks of 3.3 Mg ha -1 in the LFH (4 cm thick) and 35.3 Mg ha -1 in the top 10 cm of mineral soil, compared to the 1979 and 1981 estimates of 43 and 40 Mg ha -1 in the LFH (10 and 8 cm thick) and 17 and 14 Mg ha -1 in the top 18 and 17 cm of mineral soil, respectively.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Soil carbon stocks of the Ahe/Ae horizons under forest were not documented until 1979 and 1981 when samples were collected in the forest preserve north of the agricultural plots (Izaurralde et al 2001;Howitt and Pawluk 1985). Izaurralde et al (2001) assumed SOC stocks in the forest preserve measured in 1979 were representative of stocks in 1920 and estimated that conversion of the land to agricultural management resulted in 57% loss of carbon from the LFH, Ahe and Ae horizons through mineralization, burning or LFH removal.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gray Luvisols are polygenetic

et al. 2023

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With respect to the pedosphere, human activities in the last 100 years have been the major driver of soil change. Despite human activities being one of the main soil forming factors recognized by soil scientists (in addition to climate, organisms, parent material, relief, groundwater, and time), the Canadian System of Soil Classification emphasizes soil as a natural body. We argue human-agricultural activities are direct and indirect drivers of significant changes to the carbon balance and cycling in A horizons of Gray Luvisolic soils in western Canada, resulting in changes to A horizon carbon stocks, structure, and micromorphology. Evidence from scientific literature, in-field soil profile observations and the National Pedon Database are presented in support of our argument. We propose a polygenetic, two-stage model of Gray Luvisol soil formation. The first stage is dominated by the climate forcing of the Holocene, resulting in a relatively stable boreal forest ecosystem including relatively minor perturbations from natural and human-induced wildfire and other disturbances. The second stage is dominated by direct, human-driven disturbances such as cultivation, release of exotic fauna (earthworms), and indirect human-driven disturbances associated with anthropogenic climate change. Further, we propose modest amendments to the Canadian System of Soil Classification to reflect a polygenetic model of soil genesis in Gray Luvisolic soils that preserve the balance between observation and interpretation inherent in the system.

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The Genesis of a Gray Luvisol Within the Boreal Forest Region. I. Static Pedology

Abstract: An undisturbed site under forest cover near Breton, Alberta was chosen to study the characteristics of a typical Gray Luvisol. Smectite

Cited by 29 publications

References 13 publications

Pedological Investigations of Pleistocene Glacial Drift Surfaces in the Central Yukon

Pedological Investigations of Pleistocene Glacial Drift Surfaces in the Central Yukon

Patterns of water movement on a logged Gray Luvisolic hillslope during the snowmelt period

Gray Luvisols are polygenetic

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