Pedogeomorphic Analysis in Land Resource Inventory: A Case Study from Central India

Abstract

In the study, the importance of pedogeomorphic analysis in land resource inventories at various scales, mutual contributions of pedology and geomorphology, classification of geoforms, application of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) in geomorphology mapping were discussed. This article describes how pedogeomorphic analysis was used in detailed soil surveys in basaltic uplands of Darwha plateau in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, in developing soil-landscape models that control and explain the shrink-swell soil pattern within a land region having similar agricultural management requirements for cotton-based cropping systems. Soil-landscape relationships in Darwha plateau were studied in detailed along the transects comprised of lithic/typic Ustorthents on plateau tops to lithic/typic/ vertic Haplustepts on pediments and leptic to Typic Haplusterts on pediplains. The key pedogenic processes recognized in shrink-swells were identified as development of vertic features and CaCO3 accumulation in deeper layers. Both field and laboratory analyses confirmed that the soils within landscapes form a continuum but that recognition of the soil groupings was more practical and feasible in mapping soils in the region. A combination of IRS-P6 and Cartosat-I fused data, field examination of soils and their characterization was used to recognize landscape-related soil groupings to develop farm scale maps that can support multiple land use applications and decision-making.