Some Morphology Physico-Chemical Properties And Classification of Soils Formed on Limestone Parent Material in Safita Region (Tartous), Syria

Abstract

Soils formed on limestone parent material occupy an important and large part of the agricultural land in Syria, it is essential to study some physical and chemical properties of these soils in the Safita region (Tartous). For this issue, six soil profiles derived from limestone parent materials were investigated. The results showed that profile depth ranged between shallow to medium (20 – 110) cm. sand and clay content increased with depth while silt content decreased. pH values ranged from neutral to alkaline (7- 8.09), high calcium carbonate contents were recorded throughout the soil profiles (28- 79.1) %, and also increase of organic matter contents in A horizon (1.91- 5.65%). The cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged from 10 to 38.24 meq/100g. Exchangeable calcium was dominant on the surface of adsorption complex (3- 28.4 meq/100g), followed by magnesium (1.2- 10 meq/100g). Taxonomically , the studied soils were classified under orders: Entisols, Inceptisols, and Mollisols which have profiles types: A, A – C, A – AC– C, and A – (B) –C.Soil depth and its content of rock fragment contentvaried according to slope degree, plant cover intensity, and parent material hardness. Most soil properties were inherited from the parent material and the soils were slightly developed and formed recently.