Anqi Wang^1,2, Bing Ju¹, Decheng Li^1*

Show more
¹ State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.
² University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Show less

Abstract: pH and base saturation percentage (BSP) are two basic indexes in identifying soil types in Chinese Soil Taxonomy. Some studies proved that there is significant correlation between BSP and pH, thus it could save the cost of laboratory work if we can infer BSP directly from pH. In this study, the measured values of BSP and pH of 162 and 232 horizon samples from 48 and 55 red soil series surveyed from 2009 to 2011 in Fujian and Guangdong respectively were adopted from Soil Series Database to set up the optimal correlation model between BSP and pH. The results showed that: 1) BSP ranged from 2.30% to 94.02% with a mean of 25.07%, while pH from 3.42 to 6.91 with a mean of 4.98 for the total soil samples. 2) There were significant differences in pH between different soil types (R² were 0.624 for Ferralosols, 0.507 for Ferrosols, 0.515 for Argosols, and 0.456 for Cambosols, p < 0.01), in BSP between different parent materials (R² were 0.580 for Quaternary red clay, 0.434 for granite, 0.642 for sandstone, and 0.712 for basalt, p < 0.01), in pH and BSP between different land use types (R² were 0.623 for dryland, and 0.404 for forest land, p < 0.01). pH and BSP generally were in moderate variation (10% - 100%), and in positive skew distribution (>0), their probability density curves were mainly in flat or normal curves (<0.67). 3) There is significant positive correlation between BSP and pH, and the optimal correlation models are in quadratic form in most circumstances, but the optimal model and the accuracy are different in different circumstances, changed with different regions, parent materials, soil types and land use types. The accuracy of models established in other studies when predicting our soil samples was lower compared with our models. pH < 5.33 or <5.93 could be used roughly to judge BSP < 35% or <50% based on the model of all red soil series (y = 6.84x² &#8722; 45.86x + 81.52, R² = 0.494, p < 0.01).

Keywords: pH, Base Saturation Percentage (BSP), Correlation Model, Red Soil Series, Fujian, Guangdong, South China

Cite this paper: Wang, A. , Ju, B. and Li, D. (2019) Predicting Base Saturation Percentage by pH—A Case Study of Red Soil Series in South China. Agricultural Sciences, 10, 508-517. doi: 10.4236/as.2019.104040.

References

[1]   Huang, C.Y. (2000) Pedology. China Agriculture Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[2]   Soil Survey Staff (1999) Soil Taxonomy. In: USDA-NRCS, Agric. Handbook, 2nd Edition, U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington DC, 436.

[3]   Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy (2001) Chinese Soil Taxonomy. Science Press, Beijing, New York.

[4]   Lu, R.K. (1999) Methods of Soil Agricultural Chemistry Analyses. China Agriculture Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[5]   Bao, S.D. (2005) Soil Agricultural Chemistry Analyses. China Agriculture Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[6]   Zhang, G.L. and Gong, Z.T. (2012) Soil Survey Laboratory Methods. Science Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[7]   Bohn, H.L., McNeal, B.L. and O’Connor, G.A. (1979) Soil Chemistry. John Wiley and Sons, Toronto.

[8]   Mao, H.A., Xie, D.T., Yang, J.H., et al. (2005) Relation of pH and Cation Saturation of Orange Orchard Soil in Chongqing Jiangjin. Chinese Journal of Soil Science, 36, 877-879. (In Chinese).

[9]   Li, G.C., Yang, H., Zhang, C.L., et al. (2012) Relation between Soil pH and Base Saturation Percentage under Chinese Chestnut in Typical Karst Region. Soil and Water Conservation in China, 8, 49-52. (In Chinese).

[10]   Osman, K.T. (2012) Soils: Principles, Properties and Management. Springer, Berlin.

[11]   Li, Q.K. and Xiong, Y. (1990) Soil of China. 2nd Edition, Science Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[12]   Chinese Soil Survey Office (1993-1995) Chinese Soil Species. China Agriculture Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[13]   Zhang, M., He, Z. and Milson, M.J. (2004) Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Red Soils from Zhejiang Province, Southern China. In: Wilson, M.J., Ed., The Red Soils of China, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 63-87.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2138-1_5

[14]   D’Angelo, B., Bruand, A., Qin, J., et al. (2014) Origin of the High Sensitivity of Chinese Red Clay Soils to Drought: Significance of the Clay Characteristics. Geoderma, 223-225, 46-53.

[15]   Zhang, G.L. and Li, D.C. (2017) Manual of Soil Description and Sampling. Science Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[16]   Yu, J.Y. and He, X.X. (2006) Data Statistical Analysis and SPSS Application. Posts & Telecommunications Press, Beijing. (In Chinese)

[17]   Huang, C.M. and Gong, Z.T. (2002) Study on Genesis of Soils Derived from Basalt in Northern Hainan Island III. Element Geochemistry. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 39, 643-652. (In Chinese)

[18]   Yang, Y.F., Li, D.C., Zhang, G.L., et al. (2010) Evolution of Chronosequential Soils Derived from Volcanic Basalt on Tropical Leizhou Peninsula, South China. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 47, 817-825. (In Chinese)

[19]   Xu, R.K. (2015) Research Progresses in Soil Acidification and Its Control. Soils, 47, 238-244. (In Chinese).

[20]   Yang, P.P., Xu, R.K. and Li, X.H. (2012) Soil Acidification Induced by Pinus massoniana Needles under Leaching Conditions. Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 21, 1817-1821. (In Chinese)

[21]   Chen, K., Liu, K. and Yang, M. (2018) Research Progress in Fertilization Technology of Eucalyptus robusta Smith Plantation. Ningxia Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Science and Technology, 59, 26-28. (In Chinese).

[22]   Li, C.H. (1991) Assessments on Soil Fertility Characteristics Based on Soil Texture, Organic Matter Content and pH. Tillage and Cultivation, 3, 38-40. (In Chinese)

[23]   Zhang, J., Liu, S.Q., Zhang, S.R., et al. (2003) Distribution and Acidity Character of Acid Soil in Tibet. Journal of Sichuan Agricultural University, 21, 322-326. (In Chinese)

[24]   Klose, S. and Makeschin, F. (2005) Soil Properties in Coniferous Forest Stands along a Fly Ash Deposition Gradient in Eastern Germany. Pedosphere, 15, 681-694.

[25]   McBratney, A.B., Minasny, B., Cattle, S.R., et al. (2002) From Pedotransfer Functions to Soil Inference Systems. Geoderma, 109, 41-73.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(02)00139-8