Red Sea coastal zone within the "Golden Triangle" national project is brought out as promising agrarian expansion. Wadi Al-Queh is one of the drainage basins located east of Red Sea Mountains with buoyancy water and soil resources.Current study aimed at investigating soils of wadi Al-Queh with respect to their genesis and degree of homogeneity based on the mineralogical analysis. Four landforms were recognized running east to west namely; bajada plain, wadi terraces, mid-stream wadi course and piedmont plain. Twenty nine soil samples were selected representing eight georeferenced profiles to embody all variations in the different landforms. To recognize the prevailing depositional environmental conditions, samples were subjected to granulometric analysis for the sand fraction. Heavy and light minerals of fine sand fraction were estimated. The uniformity ratios among resistance minerals of zircon, rutile, and tourmaline were calculated. Weathering ratios (Wr1, Wr2, and Wr3) between the non-resistance and resistance minerals were used as criteria for investigating parent materials uniformity and consequently the degree of soil development. Obtained results revealed the dominance of quartz with 89.15-98.85% of the total light minerals. Opaque minerals are composed essentially by iron oxides in the range 37.75-71.25% of the total heavy minerals. Frequencies of transparent minerals indicate the contribution of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary sources in soil derivation at whole landforms. They were mostly derived from Nubian sandstone, limestone, conglomerate, breccia, granite, basalt, and schist during Tertiary to Recent ages. Obvious heterogeneous distribution of calculated weathering and uniformity ratios with depth depicted that most of the studied soils were poorly sorted, poorly developed and mostly composed of more than one parent material under multi-depositional environments conditions with non-uniform in nature. Water as the major erosional agent contributes in rifting the wadi paths between mountainous blocks towards east direction. Weathered materials from igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic sources were deposited to form a great outwash plain in which the soils under consideration were stratified. In conclusion, it is quite clear that soils of wadi Al-Queh represented an apparent discontinuity or a type of irregular interstratifications due to geogenetic weathering, mostly related to a multi-origin and/or multi depositional regime.
Due to the continuous decrease of agricultural lands, it is necessary to identify the most relevant lands for sustainable agriculture development at desert areas in which being socially equitable. The main objective of this study is to determine priorities of agricultural utilization for some areas at the western desert fringe of El-Minia Governorate. The selected area is bounded by longitudes 30 о 30` 00``E and 30 о 45` 00``E and latitudes 28 о 26` 56``N and 28 о 46` 1``N, covering an area of approximately 124691 feddan. It includes five new village of El-Minia namely; new Al-Atf, new Ash ShaykhMas'ud, new Al-Bahnasa, new Al-Hema and new Abu Algod villages. Soils of the area were surveyed using 90 profiles. Seventeen soil profiles were chosen to represent dominant landforms of the area. Soil samples were collected for further laboratory analysis to determine their properties. Based on ground truth data, laboratory analysis and imagery interpretation in cooperation with geographic information system (GIS) utilities, the geomorphic map was generated and nine geomorphic units could be differentiated. These are; pediment; alluvial fans and outwash plains; upper, moderate and lower rubble terraces; old river terraces; dissected plateaus; wind-blown sand dunes; hilly areas and rock out crops. Soils of these landforms were investigated and classified mainly as Lithic Torripsamments, Typic Torripsamments, Typic Torriorthents, Typic Haplogypsids, Calcic Haplosalids, and Typic Haplocalcids subgroups. They were grouped into four soil mapping units varying in soil depth and gravel content. Land capability was assessed to define the most suitable areas for agricultural production using MicroLEIS microcomputer program (CERVATANA capability model). Soils of the area classified into two capability classes, moderate-S (37.1 %) and non productive-N (36.13 %), while rest of the area belong to dissected plateau, hilly terrain and dunes. Further, three capability subclasses were recognized abbreviated as S3 l, S3 lr, and N l in accordance to limitations type and severity. Priorities of Agricultural Utilization Model (PAUM) was designed. Four priority grads were identified where the first priority in the studied area occupy 25.84 % of the total terrain and belongs mainly to soils of alluvial fans and outwash plains, lower rubble terraces, and partially old river terraces. Only new AshShaykh Mas'ud village belongs to the first priority for agricultural utilization, while, other investigated villages were classified as third priority. The study is considered of vital importance for decision makers through the management of natural resources in desert fringe.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.