Distribution and Properties of Vesicular Horizons in the Western United States
Distribution and Properties of Vesicular Horizons in the Western United States
复制标题
美国西部水泡层的分布和性质
DOI：
10.2136/sssaj2010.0445
复制
发表时间：
2011
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
R. Graham
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
J. Turk;R. Graham
水疱层是一种薄的（通常小于10 cm）表面或近表面层，以水疱孔隙为主。它们广泛分布于干旱和半干旱地区，分布在各大洲，覆盖美国西部156,000平方公里。由于水疱层在控制地表水文和粉尘动员方面的作用，它们对管理具有重要意义。本研究利用美国农业部提供的土壤数据库，评估了美国西部水疱层表达的分布和变化。利用一项已发表的时间序列研究的土壤描述，建立了一个包含水疱层厚度和水疱孔大小和数量的水疱层指数（VHI）。将VHI应用于土壤调查数据库的描述，以评估美国西部的水疱水平表达。与莫哈韦和索诺兰盆地和山脉相比，中部和北部盆地和山脉的水泡层表现更好（VHI更高）。这可能是由于温度状况的差异，或者是盆地中部和北部和山脉的大面积playas作为尘埃的来源，形成囊泡层的母物质。与其他土壤目相比，干旱区和松软区土壤的VHI中值最高。VHI与土壤质地关系不显著。水疱层在美国西部广泛分布，并出现在各种土壤类型和土壤形成环境中。
Vesicular horizons are thin (usually <10 cm) surface or near-surface horizons characterized by the predominance of vesicular porosity. They are widespread in arid and semiarid lands, occurring on every continent and covering 156,000 km² of the western United States. Vesicular horizons have critical implications for management due to their role in controlling surface hydrology and dust mobilization. This study evaluates the distribution and variation in expression of vesicular horizons across the western United States using the soil databases available from the USDA. A vesicular horizon index (VHI) that incorporates vesicular horizon thickness and the size and quantity of vesicular pores was developed using soil descriptions from a published chronosequence study. The VHI was applied to descriptions from the soil survey databases to evaluate vesicular horizon expression across the western United States. Vesicular horizons were better expressed (higher VHI) in the Central and Northern Basin and Range compared to the Mojave and Sonoran Basin and Range. This may be due to differences in temperature regime or to larger areas of playas in the Central and Northern Basin and Range that serve as sources of dust that forms the parent material for vesicular horizons. The median VHI was highest in the Aridisols and Mollisols compared to other soil orders. No significant relationship was found between VHI and soil textures. Vesicular horizons are widely distributed in western United States and occur across a wide range of soil types and soil-forming environments.