Soil Development in the Eastern Hardveld

Peter N. Eze

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Variations in the nature and properties of soils (pedodiversity) on the Late Neogene hilly dryland and Quaternary erosional and depositional surfaces of the Hardveld, spanning the south-eastern to south-central parts of Botswana are well established. Following the updated IUSS Working Group World Reference Base (WRB) soil classification system, this chapter discusses the major soils found on the eastern Hardveld of Botswana. Ten Reference Soil Groups develop on the Hardveld: Regosols, Arenosols, Luvisols, Lixisols, Cambisols, Calcisols, Vertisols, Leptosols, Planosols, and Acrisols. Dominant pedogenic processes in the area include salinization, calcification and decalcification, illuviation, eluviation and erosion. Interbedded fossil soils (palaeosols) within alluvial deposits found in the Hardveld are indicators of environmental and climate fluctuations in the region. The complex interplay of parent material and climate as key active factors, and organisms, topography and time as passive factors, through material fluxes such as addition, removal, transfer and transformation are fundamentally responsible for the formation of different soils found on the Hardveld
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLandscapes and Landforms of Botswana, World Geomorphological Landscapes
PublisherSpringer International Publishing AG
Chapter19
Pages327-344
Number of pages17
Publication statusPublished - May 18 2022
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameWorld Geomorphlogical Landscapes
PublisherSpringer Nature Switzerland AG
ISSN (Print)2213-2090
ISSN (Electronic)2213-2104

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