, J. 2008. Selection and establishment of Alberta agricultural soil quality benchmark sites. Can. J. Soil Sci. 88: 399Á408. Forty-three benchmark sites were established to monitor soils across the agricultural regions of Alberta. Soil chemical and physical properties were examined in an initial pedological investigation in 1997. This paper describes site selection and presents results from the initial pedological investigation. Ninety-five percent of the chosen sites were representative of their provincial ecodistrict, with only two profiles being darker and higher in organic carbon than expected. The majority of selected sites were gently undulating loam soils on morainal parent materials in the dryland regions of Alberta. Soil texture, cation exchange capacity, calcium carbonate content, and soil pH reflected regional differences in quaternary geology and agricultural practices across Alberta. Southern Alberta was characterized by high pH, sandier-textured soil profiles, whereas the Peace Lowlands, being derived from marine shale deposits, exhibited finer soil textures and higher cation exchanges capacities. Owing to climatic and vegetative differences, organic carbon levels were significantly greater in northern Alberta compared with the south, but were found to differ based on soil horizon and slope position. Upper slopes typically had lower organic carbon levels, particularly in the A horizon. Similar results were observed for total soil N, although other soil nutrients differed in relation to soil properties, slope and ecoregion. Data collected will provide: (a) the basis for a detailed Alberta soil quality assessment, (b) data for future modeling efforts, and (c) data necessary to identify temporal changes in soil properties, yield and management relationships. Quatre-vingt-quinze pour cent des sites se´lectionne´s sont repre´sentatifs de leur e´codistrict provincial, deux profils seulement e´tant plus sombres et contenant plus de carbone organique que pre´vu. La plupart des sites retenus se caracte´risent par un sol loameux faiblement ondule´, assis sur une base morainique dans les re´gions arides de l'Alberta. La texture du sol, le pouvoir d'e´change cationique, la teneur en carbonate de calcium et le pH du sol refle`tent les variations re´gionales au niveau de la ge´ologie du Quaternaire et les pratiques agricoles en usage en Alberta. Le sud de la province se de´marque par un pH e´leve´et un sol a`texture plus sablonneuse, alors que les basses terres de la rivie`re de la Paix, issues de de´poˆts de schiste argileux marins, pre´sentent une granulome´trie plus fine et une meilleure capacite´d'e´change des cations. La concentration de carbone organique est sensiblement plus e´leve´e dans le nord que dans le sud de la province en raison des diffe´rences au niveau du climat et de la ve´ge´tation, mais elle varie avec l'horizon du sol et la situation de la pente. Les pentes en hauteur contiennent habituellement moins de carbone organique, surtout dans l'horizon A. Les auteurs ont observe´des re´sultats simil...
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