| Most generalizations concerning properties of soil profiles as related to aspect and slope position are based on anecdotal information and field observations. This study was designed to clarify these influences by using state factor analyses. Soil water was monitored and soil properties were characterized on upper slopes and mid-slope benches of rectilinear slopes in north- and south-facing first-order hollows in a mountainous area of eastern Kentucky. North-facing drainages had thicker sola (mean, 110 vs. 85 cm), higher organic matter concentrations in the A horizons (63 vs. 38 g/kg), and higher N concentrations in the A (1.5 vs. 1.1 g/kg) and B (0.7 vs. 0.6 g/kg) horizons. Compared to upper slopes, mid-slope benches had higher N in the A (1.6 vs. 1.1 g/kg) and B (0.7 vs. 0.6 g/kg) horizons, higher cation exchange capacities (8.3 vs. 6.5 cmol{dollar}sb{lcub}rm c{rcub}{dollar}/kg), higher Mg concentrations (0.5 vs. 0.3 cmol{dollar}sb{lcub}rm c{rcub}{dollar}/kg), and finer textures in the A horizon. Mid-slope benches were consistently wetter than upper-slope plots. North-facing drainages generally had more soil water, although differences were not significant. Thickness of the A horizon, pH, and concentrations of other cations did not differ between slope positions or drainage directions. Soil pH, base saturation, and Ca concentrations of A horizons were related to species of occupying trees, even though the vegetation was relatively uniform. This suggest that the latter soil properties are determined chiefly by vegetation-controlled nutrient-cycling processes. The aspect and slope position components of topography affect soil development by modifying hillslope microclimates. |
