Authors
Ophélie Sauzet, Cécilia Cammas, Pierre Barbillon, Marie-Pierre Étienne, David Montagne
Publication date
2016/3/15
Journal
Geoderma
Volume
266
Pages
46-57
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
Among soil processes governing the clay size fraction distribution with depth, illuviation is not only widespread but also particularly poorly understood. Using a micromorphological approach, this study aims at i) quantifying the intensity of illuviation independently of all other competing soil processes, ii) testing the sensitivity of illuviation to different land uses, and iii) assessing the relative contribution of illuviation to the genesis of textural differentiation. Two Luvisols developed from loess in Northern France were selected: the first under a deciduous forest and the second under conventional agricultural management, both with no change in land use for at least 100 years. In addition to classical mass balance calculations, clay illuviation features such as limpid and dusty clay coatings were used as diagnostic features of the illuviation process and were quantified by a point-counting approach in large thin sections. In the …
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