Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia

Two Spodosols occurring in Sarawak, Malaysia, were studied to elucidate the physico-chemical properties of the soils and to explain their formation. The pedons derived from sandstone are located at the elevation of 30 to 60 m above sea level. Under high temperature and extremely high rainfall prevai...

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Main Authors: Abu Bakar, Syuhada, Jusop, Shamsuddin, Ishak, Che Fauziah, Abdu, Arifin, Abu Bakar, Rosenani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asian Online Journals 2014
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37704/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37704/1/Formation%20and%20characteristics%20of%20Spodosols%20formed%20on%20sandstone%20in%20the%20extremely%20high%20rainfall%20area%20of%20Sarawak%2C%20Malaysia.pdf
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author Abu Bakar, Syuhada
Jusop, Shamsuddin
Ishak, Che Fauziah
Abdu, Arifin
Abu Bakar, Rosenani
author_facet Abu Bakar, Syuhada
Jusop, Shamsuddin
Ishak, Che Fauziah
Abdu, Arifin
Abu Bakar, Rosenani
author_sort Abu Bakar, Syuhada
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Two Spodosols occurring in Sarawak, Malaysia, were studied to elucidate the physico-chemical properties of the soils and to explain their formation. The pedons derived from sandstone are located at the elevation of 30 to 60 m above sea level. Under high temperature and extremely high rainfall prevailing in the area, the weatherable minerals in the sandstone have been mostly weathered and removed from the soil system, resulting in the accumulation of resistant minerals such as kaolinite, quartz and/or muscovite in the topsoil. The soil materials were subjected to podzolization which eventually formed spodic horizon in the soils at varying depths. At 60 m above sea level where the drainage is excessive, the spodic horizon is about 50 cm thick (having Bhs and Bs horizons (Arenic Alorthods), while at the lower position with poorer drainage condition, the thickness of Bs horizon is only about 7 cm (Lithic Alaqoud). The spodic horizon in both pedons is compacted, not penetrable by plant roots. The samples from spodic horizons contain carbonyl group conjugated with aromatic ring (having band at 1615 cm−1). This peak is probably attributed to the vibrations of aromatic C–C structural vibrations and C–O stretching of amide, quinone and H–bonded conjugated ketone groups. Carbonyl group occurring in the soils was probably involved in the metal complexation (or ligand exchange) during the podzolization process. The migration of the organo-metallic complexes and its deposition into the subsoil leads to the formation of spodic horizon. The spodic horizon in both profiles is characterized by low pH and high exchangeable Al with trace amount of hematite. Throughout the profiles, basic cations and CEC are very low, consistent with the sandy nature of the soils.
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spelling upm-377042020-07-20T06:32:47Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37704/ Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia Abu Bakar, Syuhada Jusop, Shamsuddin Ishak, Che Fauziah Abdu, Arifin Abu Bakar, Rosenani Two Spodosols occurring in Sarawak, Malaysia, were studied to elucidate the physico-chemical properties of the soils and to explain their formation. The pedons derived from sandstone are located at the elevation of 30 to 60 m above sea level. Under high temperature and extremely high rainfall prevailing in the area, the weatherable minerals in the sandstone have been mostly weathered and removed from the soil system, resulting in the accumulation of resistant minerals such as kaolinite, quartz and/or muscovite in the topsoil. The soil materials were subjected to podzolization which eventually formed spodic horizon in the soils at varying depths. At 60 m above sea level where the drainage is excessive, the spodic horizon is about 50 cm thick (having Bhs and Bs horizons (Arenic Alorthods), while at the lower position with poorer drainage condition, the thickness of Bs horizon is only about 7 cm (Lithic Alaqoud). The spodic horizon in both pedons is compacted, not penetrable by plant roots. The samples from spodic horizons contain carbonyl group conjugated with aromatic ring (having band at 1615 cm−1). This peak is probably attributed to the vibrations of aromatic C–C structural vibrations and C–O stretching of amide, quinone and H–bonded conjugated ketone groups. Carbonyl group occurring in the soils was probably involved in the metal complexation (or ligand exchange) during the podzolization process. The migration of the organo-metallic complexes and its deposition into the subsoil leads to the formation of spodic horizon. The spodic horizon in both profiles is characterized by low pH and high exchangeable Al with trace amount of hematite. Throughout the profiles, basic cations and CEC are very low, consistent with the sandy nature of the soils. Asian Online Journals 2014-04 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37704/1/Formation%20and%20characteristics%20of%20Spodosols%20formed%20on%20sandstone%20in%20the%20extremely%20high%20rainfall%20area%20of%20Sarawak%2C%20Malaysia.pdf Abu Bakar, Syuhada and Jusop, Shamsuddin and Ishak, Che Fauziah and Abdu, Arifin and Abu Bakar, Rosenani (2014) Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 2 (2). pp. 115-128. ISSN 2321-1571 https://www.ajouronline.com/index.php/AJAFS/article/view/1088
spellingShingle Abu Bakar, Syuhada
Jusop, Shamsuddin
Ishak, Che Fauziah
Abdu, Arifin
Abu Bakar, Rosenani
Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia
title Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_full Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_fullStr Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_short Formation and characteristics of Spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_sort formation and characteristics of spodosols formed on sandstone in the extremely high rainfall area of sarawak, malaysia
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37704/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37704/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37704/1/Formation%20and%20characteristics%20of%20Spodosols%20formed%20on%20sandstone%20in%20the%20extremely%20high%20rainfall%20area%20of%20Sarawak%2C%20Malaysia.pdf