Catena Case Study
THE CATENA CONCEPT
Introduction
The catena concept demonstrated the relationship between
The catena concept
The physical and chemical properties of soil can be influenced by its position along a topography. This trend is able to be explained using the catena concept. The topography influences soil formation and its microclimate (Rigg, 1993). The different elements of a slope are divided into the ridge, crest, slope and toeslope (Rigg, 1993). The main processes in a catena are the changes in surface runoff, soil creep, solution and mass movement (Husein, et al., 2016).The steep areas of a slope will tend to have a higher drainage rate compared to areas of the slope with a gentle gradient. This feature explains why there will be more moisture …show more content…
The parent material is altered through chemical and physical weathering of minerals and organic matters which allow for the soil to form and influenced the soil composition. According to Bockheim (2014), the parent material has the greatest importance in determining the soil taxa, soil horizons and materials. The formation of the soil takes a very long time through different processes like weathering. Weathering is the physical and chemical breakdown of parent material at the surface of the earth (Jenny, 1994). The weathering process occurs because of water, wind and other solid material like sediments and preexisting soil. This process changes the parent material into secondary minerals the soils are then a result of further processes of leeching, oxidation and dissolution of the surface material. Organisms can also influence can also help convert parent material into soil and the type of soil that is created is related to the parent material it came …show more content…
The climate in an area the amount of rainfall, evaporation rates, temperature and wind conditions. These conditions have a direct influence on the soil fauna, chemical reactions and the transportation on substances. (Hillel, 2004). Climate varies depending on where the soil is in the world. The conditions of the soils control the amount of water available for vegetation, rates of decomposition of organic matter and faunal activity (Hillel, 2004). Areas that have high rainfall will have more vegetation biomass which helps with contributing to organic biomass. The water that falls to the ground is soaked up by the soil and some of it is lost through evapotranspiration which helps with the distribution of nutrients. According to (BUOL, et al., 2011) the temperature of soil will determine the type and amount of vegetation that grows in the area, this in turn controls the amount of biomass as well as microorganisms that are in the
Introduction
The catena concept demonstrated the relationship between
The catena concept
The physical and chemical properties of soil can be influenced by its position along a topography. This trend is able to be explained using the catena concept. The topography influences soil formation and its microclimate (Rigg, 1993). The different elements of a slope are divided into the ridge, crest, slope and toeslope (Rigg, 1993). The main processes in a catena are the changes in surface runoff, soil creep, solution and mass movement (Husein, et al., 2016).The steep areas of a slope will tend to have a higher drainage rate compared to areas of the slope with a gentle gradient. This feature explains why there will be more moisture …show more content…
The parent material is altered through chemical and physical weathering of minerals and organic matters which allow for the soil to form and influenced the soil composition. According to Bockheim (2014), the parent material has the greatest importance in determining the soil taxa, soil horizons and materials. The formation of the soil takes a very long time through different processes like weathering. Weathering is the physical and chemical breakdown of parent material at the surface of the earth (Jenny, 1994). The weathering process occurs because of water, wind and other solid material like sediments and preexisting soil. This process changes the parent material into secondary minerals the soils are then a result of further processes of leeching, oxidation and dissolution of the surface material. Organisms can also influence can also help convert parent material into soil and the type of soil that is created is related to the parent material it came …show more content…
The climate in an area the amount of rainfall, evaporation rates, temperature and wind conditions. These conditions have a direct influence on the soil fauna, chemical reactions and the transportation on substances. (Hillel, 2004). Climate varies depending on where the soil is in the world. The conditions of the soils control the amount of water available for vegetation, rates of decomposition of organic matter and faunal activity (Hillel, 2004). Areas that have high rainfall will have more vegetation biomass which helps with contributing to organic biomass. The water that falls to the ground is soaked up by the soil and some of it is lost through evapotranspiration which helps with the distribution of nutrients. According to (BUOL, et al., 2011) the temperature of soil will determine the type and amount of vegetation that grows in the area, this in turn controls the amount of biomass as well as microorganisms that are in the