STUDIES ON SOLONETZ SOILS OF ALBERTA

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Abstract
An excellent discussion of our present knowledge of alkali soils in N. America. It also provides data on the base-exchange properties and the soluble-salt content of both solonized and normal soils from the black-and brown-soil areas of Alberta. The exchange complex of nearly all of the profiles examined contained Ca as the dominant ion, Mg being appreciably lower. The amt. of Na usually is appreciably smaller than the exchange Ca or the exchange Mg. The content and the relative proportion of Na in Alberta solonized soils are sometimes higher than in adjacent so-called "normal" soils. The solonized soils from the black-soil zone used in this investigation contained more Na than did those of the drier brown-soil zone. Excessive leaching has not taken place in either the brown or the black soils. Only 2 of the 19 brown-soil profiles analyzed showed traces of exchange H, but this feature was slightly more marked in the black soils. The solonized profiles indi- cate this to a greater extent than do those nonsolonized. The remaining horizons of eroded "slick spot" profiles in general contained larger amts. and proportions of Na than did horizons of noneroded spots. Accumulations of soluble sulfates in the B2 horizons of the eroded profiles are attributed to the extremely low permeability of the overlying B1 horizons. The data confirm the belief of other workers that the usual concept of the chemical nature of solonized soils does not provide a complete explanation.

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