Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis ›› 2025, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (5): 1121-1129.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-1524.20240469

• Environmental Science • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Comparison of properties between soils developed from eluvium and deluvium in subtropical low mountain forest land

ZHUO Wenqi1,2(), MA Wanzhu2,*(), ZHUO Zhiqing2, ZHU Kangying2   

  1. 1. College of Environment and Resources, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
    2. Institute of Digital Agriculture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
  • Received:2024-05-28 Online:2025-05-25 Published:2025-06-11

Abstract:

Parent material is one of the five major factors influencing soil formation. Eluvium and deluvium are two major types of parent materials which form mountainous soils, yet there are relatively few studies on the differences between the soils derived from them. By taking the Qianjiangyuan National Forest Park in western Zhejiang, China, as an example, the differences in the properties of woodland soils developed from eluvium and deluvium in low mountainous area were comparatively examined through experimental analysis of soil color, particle composition, organic carbon content, total nitrogen content, weathering intensity and iron activation degree in soil profiles. The results indicated that the weathering and leaching intensities of soils developed from deluvium were lower than that of soils developed from eluvium. The former had higher gravel content throughout the entire profile and a higher weathering and leaching coefficient. The soil morphology developed from deluvium exhibited less differentiation between upper and lower layers, with deeper distribution of fine soil organic carbon and a larger organic carbon pool. Meanwhile, the fine soils developed from deluvium had a lower bulk density, higher permeability and greater water storage potential. Soils developed from eluvium showed significant isotopic δ13C differences between upper and lower layers, while soils developed from deluvium displayed smaller differences, indicating that the age of soil organic carbon formation in the lower layers of soil profiles developed from eluvium was older. In conclusion, there are significant differences in the properties of soils developed from eluvium and deluvium in low mountain forest land, therefore, they should be treated differently in soil type classification.

Key words: eluvium, deluvium, subtropics, soil carbon pool, weathering intensity

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