The name of Vertisol is derived from Latin "vertere" meaning to invert. This case restricts development of soil horizons in profile. These soils have the capacity to swell and shrink, inducing cracks in the upper parts of the soil and distinctive soil structure throughout the soil. The formation of these specific features are caused by a heavy texture, a dominance of swelling clay in the fine fraction and marked changes in moisture content. The swell-shrink behavior is attributed to the wetting and drying of the soil mass. In this study, morphology, physico-chemical characteristics and classification of vertisols that were formed on alluvial delta plains, were investigated. Those soils formed on the Bafra Plain found in the Kızılırmak Delta and located in the central Black Sea region of Turkey. All studied Vertisols are characterised by a dark colour in surface soil, a heavy clayey texture, hardpan formation under top soil (high bulk density a high compaction) and very high COLE values. In addition, they have deep wide-opened desiccation cracks at the surface, slickensides at the middle part of the profiles and a poor differentiation of their horizons. Physico-chemically, the studied soils are slightly basic to very basic, non-saline and poor in organic matter, which is slightly higher in the surface horizon. In addition, cation exchange capacity, sum of exchangeable bases and base saturation of soils are very high. On the basis of morphological and physicochemical analysis, soil profiles were classified as Sodic Haplustert, Typic Calciaquert, Sodic Calciustert according to Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 1975 and1999) and as Sodic Vertisol and Calcic Vertisol according to FAO/ISRIC (2006) classification systems.

The aim of this study is to examine the horizantal and vertical spatial changes of soil quality (SQ) in rice-cultivated soils located on the Bafra Deltaic Plain-one of the most important alluvial deltaic plains and production centers of Turkey. The study examines these spacial changes by calculating the soil quality index (SQI) for soils 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm deep. For SQI calculations, seventeen potential physicochemical SQ indicators of eighty-three soil samples were assessed. Quality indicators to be used in these calculations were selected by considering the clay content, correlation relationship, and principal components analysis (PCA) of potential quality indicators. Clay, silt, sand, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable calcium (Ca exc ), and exchangeable magnesium (Mg exc ) were selected as quality indicators, and silt was found to be the most important quality indicator for both soil depths. The SQ of researched soils changed from low to high for both soil depths.

No abstract

The main objectives of the current study are i) to estimate SOC in different soil depths and to generate their spatial distribution maps, ii) to assess relationship between variation of different soil types and SOC density, iii) to determine effects of land cover types on SOC in Inebolu Watershed located in sub-humid terrestrial ecosystem. In order to determine land cover types of the study area, aster satellite image was used and five main land cover types that are bare land, sparsely vegetated area, broadleaved forest area, mixed forest area and needleleaved forest area were classified. Results indicated that soil types and land cover were two crucial influencing factors for spatial variation of SOC density. It was determined that SOC density of soil types, Vertic Haplustept (12.93 kg.m-2) was significantly higher than other soil subgroups. In this case, it can be said that main reasons of this result are indicated as soil profile depth and pedological development. In addition, when comparing the two main factors, land cover explained more of the SOC density variability and was the main controlling factor in the surface; in the subsurface, not only land cover types but also some properties of soil types such as texture, genetic horizons, soil depth have an important role on SOC density. On the other hand, it can be conclude that the combination of the soil type and land cover was a dramatically better predictor of SOC density.

Özet: Toprak ve su kaynaklarımızı tehdit eden doğal ve yapay birçok unsur bulunmaktadır. Özellikle yanlış arazi yönetimi ve kullanımlarından kaynaklanan bu tehditlerin en önemlilerinden bir tanesi de toprak erozyonudur. Erozyon risk durumlarının belirlenmesine yönelik toprak duyarlılık indekslerinin kullanılması, özelikle erozyon araştırmalarında önemli yer teşkil etmektedirler. Toprağın erozyona duyarlılığı, yağış veya yüzey akışla toprağın parçalanmaya direncidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, İnebolu Havzası topraklarında toprakların erodibilite (K) faktörü ve dispersiyon oranları belirlenerek, arazi örtüsü/arazi kullanımı ile arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesidir. Bu çalışmada, İnebolu havzasında dağılım gösteren toprakların erozyona karşı gösterdiği direncin, bazı erozyona duyarlılık indeksleri kullanılarak, arazi kullanım durumuna bağlı değişimleri karşılaştırılmıştır. İnebolu Havzası Karadeniz Bölgesi'nin Batı Karadeniz Bölümünde, Kastamonu ili sınırları içerisinde yer alır. Havzanın alanı yaklaşık 114 km 2 olarak ölçülmüş ve 6 alt havzadan oluşmaktadır. Araştırma sahasının ortalama deniz seviyesinden olan yüksekliği 621 m, en yüksek noktası 1360 m yükseltiye sahiptir. İnebolu Havzası arazi örtüsünün/arazi kullanımı belirlenmesinde 2013 yılına ait Spot uydu görüntüsü ve meşçere haritası kullanılmıştır. Havzada farklı arazi örtüsü/arazi kullanımları göz önünde bulundurularak random sistemde toprak örneklemesi yapılmıştır. Belirlenen noktalarından üç farklı derinlikte (0-10, 10-20, 20-30 cm) toplam 690 adet toprak örnekleri alınmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre havzanın erodibilte değerleri ortalama olarak 0.07 ile 0.093 t ha -1 .MJ.mm -1 arasında değişmekte olup, derinlik artışına bağlı olarak K değeri azalmaktadır. Toprakların her üç derinlikteki dispersiyon oranları ise ortalama olarak 20.21 ile 22.28 arasında değişmekte olup, arazi örtüsü/arazi kullanımı arasında istatistiksel olarak önemli olmadığı belirlenmiştir (p>0.05).Abstract: Soil and water resources are under several threats stemming from artificial and natural factors in fragile ecosystem. One of these threats is soil erosion due to misuse or inappropriate land use planning. In order to determine erosion risk cases using soil erodibility indexes, they occupy important place particularly for erosion researches. Soil erodibility is the resistance of soil to detach by rainfall impact or surface flow force. The main aim of this research is determination of relationship between situation of soil erosion sensitivity and land use/land cover in İnebolu Basin soils. In this study, it was determined dispersion ratio and resistance case of different soils found in İnebolu Basin to erosion using some soil erodibilities index and to compare their variability each other based on land use and land cover. This research was performed in İnebolu Basin located in Kastamonu province belonging to west part of Black Sea Region of Turkey. The study area is about 114 km 2 and consists of 6 micro sub basins. Elevation of the study area locates between 0 m and 1360 m from sea level...