CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Dedzoe, C.; Walley, F.; and Pennock, D.
Date : 2008.
Title : Gyttja - A major parent material for Prairie wetland soils.
Publication : Canadian Society of Soil Science 2008 Annual Meeting: Frontiers of Soil Science. July 6 - 10, 2008. University of Northern British Columbia Prince George, British Columbia.
Issue : Program and Abstracts Volume:
Page(s) : 63,
Abstract
The horizon sequence of depressional soils of the Prairie Pothole region commonly includes a layer of silty clay textured material that has thin (2-5 mm) horizontal beds or plates. This layer can be up to 1.5 m thick and is found as both a near-surface soil horizon and at depth in paleosols. The material can undergo a major colour change from a black (10YR 2/1) colour upon initial exposure to the atmosphere to white or light gray (10 YR 7/1 to 10YR 8/1) colour after several hours of exposure. The base of the layer in several locations contains shells (indicating that it is a post-glacial deposit) and it can overlay several different types of glacial sediment. Examples from several locations in the Prairies will be used to illustrate the range of properties of this layer. Wetland scientists readily identify this material as gyttja and it probably would fit the diatomaceous earth class of limnic material under the Organic horizons section of the Canadian System of Soil Classification. In the CSSC these horizons are assigned a C horizon with no suffix and hence become indistinguishable from other mineral C horizons despite their vastly different origin. Moreover where a thin layer of this horizon directly overlies a clay loam B horizon they can be readily misinterpreted as an Aeg overlying a Btg and misclassified as a Luvic Gleysol. In positions where the gyttja layer is thick and it is overlain by only an A horizon the horizon sequence is Ah/C, and classifying the soil as an Orthic or Humic Regosol is an unsatisfactory placement of this wetland soil in the Canadian System of Soil Classification.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology