Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Document Type
Thesis
Date of this Version
11-1971
Citation
Thesis (M.S.)—University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 1971. Department of Agronomy.
Abstract
Climate is an important factor in soil genesis and classification.Climate has been recognized as having an important influence on soil characteristics in Nebraska.Soil-climate relationships are particularly significant in Nebraska in that there is as much difference in precipitation from west to east across the state as from eastern Nebraska to the Atlantic coast.This difference in precipitation has a marked effect on the physical and chemical properties of soils and therefore influences the classification of these soils.
An important function of soil is its ability to retain moisture received from precipitation and to release this moisture to plants and eventually return it to the atmosphere.Soil moisture promotes chemical, physical, and biological activities and acts as a solvent and carrier of nutrients.Soil classification reflects the physical characteristics of soil and the effect of these characteristics on soil moisture storage, the movement of soil moisture, and the influence of soil moisture on plant growth.
The purpose of this study is to measure moisture in certain soils near the western edge of the Udoll soil zone in Nebraska and to relate these measurements to soil moisture regimes defined in the new classification system.
The first objective of this study is to test the influence of directional aspect and the presence of slowly permeable subsoils or substrata on soil moisture regimes within a maturely dissected landscape near the western edge of the Udoll zone in Nebraska.The second objective is to relate the morphology of a sequence of soils formed in glacial till and one formed in loess in this area to differences in soil moisture regimes.The third objective is to test the criteria developed to define Udolls and Ustolls in the transition area between regions dominated by one or the other of these soils.The fourth objective is to relate soil moisture regimes to meteorological data and to relate soil moisture to vegetative growth on several different soils.
Advisor:James V. Drew
Comments
Copyright 1971, the author. Used by permission.