Intricacy in Cassfication of Pine-Growing Sois n Shi ong.Plateau, Meghalaya, ndia

摘要

Pine (Pinus InsuIarisEndl) soils In Shiilong Plateau are restricted to cool, moist areas over granitic hills capped by sandstone. Soil rejuvenation by slope movement is active and often hit by clouds; producing orographic rains. Soils are well drained, moderately to strongly acid with dark brown or brown umbric epipedons, dark brown to very dark greyish brown B horizons that lack evidence of clay translocation and have weak expressions of cheluviation (Umthlew, P-2 and Pynursala, P-3); The base status is low (<35%, with 30-60% Al saturation), providing evidence of strong leaching. There are indications of a lithologic discontinuity in pedon (Majura soil, R-4). These soils were classified according to existing systems, and some modification has beenproposed to include the use of adjectives at the subgroup level In USDA soil taxonomy such as Alumic Hapludults, Modic in the Sombrihumults, and Umbric ildorthents andclassified up to lower levels in World Reference Base classification system. Defining and properly classifying soils In highlands of Shiilong Plateau is of utmost importance in preventing erroneous results in land management and conservation programs.