A treatise of Indian and tropical soils

This book discusses how to apply the basic principles of pedology to the tropical soils of the Indian subcontinent, with an emphasis on ways to enhance crop productivity. The book showcases the research contributions on pedology, geomorphology, mineralogy, micromorphology and climate change collecte...

Full description

Main Author: Pal, D. K.,
Other Authors: SpringerLink (Online service)
Format: eBook
Language: English
Published: Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2017.
Physical Description: 1 online resource.
Subjects:
Table of Contents:
  • Preface; Contents; About the Author; 1 Indian Tropical Soils: An Overview; Abstract; References; 2 Cracking Clay Soils (Vertisols): Pedology, Mineralogy and Taxonomy; Abstract; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Factors of Vertisol Formation: A Revisit; 2.2.1 Parent Material; 2.2.2 Climate; 2.2.3 Topography; 2.2.4 Vegetation; 2.2.5 Time; 2.3 Smectite Clay Minerals in Vertisols: Recent Initiatives for Their Proper Characterization; 2.3.1 Characteristics of Smectite; 2.3.2 Seat of Charge in and Layer Charge of Fine Clay Smectites; 2.3.3 Hydroxy-Interlayered Smectites (HIS) and Determination of Layer Charge.
  • 2.4 Genesis of Smectites in Vertisols: A Revised Status2.5 Recent Advances in Pedogenic Processes in Vertisols; 2.5.1 Clay Illuviation in Vertisols: An Example of Proanisotropism; 2.5.2 Factors of Clay Illuviation in Vertisols; 2.5.3 Relative Rapidity of Clay Illuviation, Pedoturbation and Slickenside Formation; 2.5.4 Development of Microstructures and Vertical Cracks in Vertisols as Controlled by Smectite Swelling; 2.6 Evolutionary Pathways of Vertisol Formation; References; 3 Red Ferruginous Soils: Pedology, Mineralogy and Taxonomy; Abstract; 3.1 Introduction.
  • 3.2 US Soil Taxonomic Classes and Factors in the Formation of Red Ferruginous (RF) Soils3.3 Clay Illuviation, Clay Enriched B Horizons and Taxonomic Rationale of RF Soils of Humid Tropical (HT) Climate; 3.4 RF Soils (Alfisols) in Semi-arid Tropics (SAT): Record of Climate Change and Polypedogenesis in the Holocene Period; 3.5 Acidity and Its Nature and Charge Characteristics in RF Soils of HT Climate: The Present Status; 3.6 Clay Mineralogy of RF Soils of the HT Climate: Recent Advances; 3.6.1 Genesis of Gibbsite at the Expense of Kaolinite: Dissolution of a Myth.
  • 3.6.2 Mixed Mineralogy Class for RF Soils of HT Climate: A Rational Proposal3.7 Ultisols of Indian Tropical Humid Climate in Context with Doubtful Existence of Oxisols; References; 4 Soils of the Indo-Gangetic Alluvial Plains: Historical Perspective, Soil-Geomorphology and Pedology in Response Climate Change and Neotectonics; Abstract; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Early Studies on Soils; 4.3 Soil-Geomorphology of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP); 4.4 Soil Ages of the IGP; 4.5 Pedogenic Response of the IGP Soils to Holocene Climatic Fluctuations.
  • 4.6 Pedogenic Response of the IGP Soils to Neotectonic Events4.7 Soils of the IGP: Bio-climates, Pedogenic Processes, Mineralogy and Taxonomic Classes; 4.7.1 Development of Soils in Different Bio-climates; 4.7.2 Pedogenic Processes, Polygenesis and Taxonomic Classes of the IGP Soils; 4.7.3 Clay Minerals and Mineralogy Class of the IGP Soils; References; 5 Conceptual Models on Tropical Soil Formation; Abstract; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 Vertisols Spatially Associated with Alfisols and Mollisols on Zeolitic Deccan Basalts.