SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN SALINITY AND HUMIDITY AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE GENESIS OF THE SOILS OF A SAN LUIS SALINE WETLAND

Authors

  • Osvaldo Andres Barbosa Universidad Nacional de San Luis
  • José Álvarez-Rogel
  • Raúl Silvio Lavado
  • Daniel Alberto Riscosa

Keywords:

Soil genesis, Halo-hydromorphic soils, soil-plant relationship

Abstract

Wetlands are permanent or frequently flooded environments, which determines the development of hydromorphic soils and hydrophytic vegetation. When the water is saline, on the other hand, halomorphic soils and halophytic vegetation develop. Salts are important in the formation and evolution of soils, and their classification. Our objective was to study its genesis in saline depressions of the San Luis province (Argentina). The area studied was the depression called “Bajo Las Saladas”, located at 33º 37´ South latitude and 65º 25´ West longitude, with an area of 120.7 ha and a maximum elevation of 505 masl. By means of photointerpretation, the physiognomic types of vegetation were precisely delimited. Several follow-up plots were located in each physiognomic type, the depth to the water table was determined and pits were made in each one of them. The horizons were sampled, analyzed and the soils were classified taxonomically. In the flat sector, the halophilic forest and in the saline depression the physiognomic types halophilic scrub, patches of creeping halophilic shrub, open and dense halophilic meadows, and saline beaches were identified. The halophilic scrub (dominated by Atriplex spp.) Occupies the least saline soils, with a higher pH and a deeper water table. In more humid and saline soils, patches of creeping halophilic shrub (dominated by Sarcocornia neei) and open meadows of Distichlis spicata appear. In the most depressed and humid positions there are dense meadows of D. spicata and in the areas with greater waterlogging and anoxia, the saline beaches do not present vegetation. The soils were classified as typic Haplustolls in the halophilic forest, typic Ustortents or typic Epiaquents in the halophyte scrub areas and typic Epiaquents, with different distribution of horizons, some with gley horizons, in the remaining areas. Several factors intervene jointly in the genesis of these soils, such as groundwater depth, salinity, microtopographic position, texture, and degree and duration of waterlogging.

Author Biographies

Osvaldo Andres Barbosa, Universidad Nacional de San Luis

Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Facultad de Ingeniería y Cs Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Avenida 25 de mayo 384, 5730 Villa Mercedes (SL), Argentina.

José Álvarez-Rogel

Departamento de Tecnología y Ciencia Agraria, ETSIA, UPCT, Cartagena, España.

Raúl Silvio Lavado

Facultad de Agronomía - INBA, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Av. San Martín 4453, 1417 Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Daniel Alberto Riscosa

Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Facultad de Ingeniería y Cs Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Avenida 25 de mayo 384, 5730 Villa Mercedes (SL), Argentina.

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Published

29-12-2022

How to Cite

Barbosa, O. A., Álvarez-Rogel, J., Lavado, R. S., & Riscosa, D. A. (2022). SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN SALINITY AND HUMIDITY AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE GENESIS OF THE SOILS OF A SAN LUIS SALINE WETLAND. Ciencia Del Suelo, 40(2). Retrieved from https://ojs.suelos.org.ar/index.php/cds/article/view/706

Issue

Section

Génesis, Clasificación, Cartografía y Mineralogía de Suelos