From biodiversity to geodiversity and soil diversity. A spatial understanding of soil in ecological studies of the forest landscape

• Published in: Journal of tropical forest science Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 388 - 405
• Main Author: Thwaites, R.N. (Queensland Univ., St Lucia, Qld 4072 (Australia). School of Land and Food Sciences and Co-operative Research Centre for Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Management)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Forest Research Institute Malaysia 01-04-2000
• Subjects: Agrology; BIODIVERSIDAD; BIODIVERSITE; BIODIVERSITY; BOSQUES; CLASIFICACION DE SUELOS; CLASSIFICATION DES SOLS; ECOLOGIA; ECOLOGIA FORESTAL; ECOLOGICAL SOIL TYPES; ECOLOGIE; ECOLOGIE FORESTIERE; ECOLOGY; ENQUETE PEDOLOGIQUE; FOREST ECOLOGY; FOREST SOILS; FORESTS; FORET; Landscape ecology; Pedogenesis; RECONOCIMIENTO DE SUELOS; SOIL; SOIL CLASSIFICATION; Soil composition; Soil ecology; Soil plant interactions; Soil science; SOIL SURVEYS; SOL; SOL DE FORET; SUELO; SUELO FORESTAL; TIPOS ECOLOGICOS DE SUELOS; Tropical soils; TYPE DE SOL ECOLOGIQUE
• ISSN: 0128-1283

From biodiversity to geodiversity and soil diversity. A spatial understanding of soil in ecological studies of the forest landscape. In field ecology we have to satisfy 'geographical' objectives because of the spatial nature of the landscape, rather than theoretical 'typological' objectives. To understand and maintain biodiversity we must have some understanding of geodiversity. We therefore have to adjust our attitude to the dynamism of the soil system accodingly through geoecology. This is best undertaken by using soil-landscape analysis within a geomorphological paradigm which treats soil as layers of material with spatial extent. The recommendation is for viewing a 3-dimensional micro-catchment, or 'catenary unit', rather than the soil profile, as the fundamantal natural unit of study. The soil profile, or pedon, is best used for observation and generic classification only. Soil diversity is best expressed as variations in selected soil attributes that are ecologically relevant rather than preconceived soil types developed for agricultural or other purposes. Classifying soil atrributes by 'fuzzy logic' (or by other mathematical clustering means) suits this form of spatial analysis for soil attribute prediction. A fuzzy classification gives a set of multiple possibilities of soil attributes at any one point, compared with an intuitive conjecture that is likely from a soil profile classification.