Terrain controls on depressional soil distribution in a hummocky morainal landscape

In hummocky morainal landscapes, soil distribution in well-drained landscape positions tends to follow a consistent pattern. Soils in depressions, however, are more difficult to predict reliably. This study had two objectives: (1) to determine the parent material and landscape properties controlling the formation of the different depressional soils; and (2) to use these controls to identify quantitative, terrain-based predictors of soil type in depressions. Only two terrain attributes, specific dispersal area (SDA) and elevation relative to open water bodies, were required to distinguish three main soil groups: Gley Recharge, Non-gley Recharge, and Discharge soils. Specific dispersal area is the downslope area draining flow from a given grid cell. Gley Recharge soils occur primarily at points with SDA of less than 2 m2 m−1, regardless of elevation within a given site, because most of the runoff flowing to a point with very low SDA values will pond or infiltrate vertically rather than flow downslope. Non-gley Recharge soils and Discharge soils both occur at points with SDA of greater than 2 m2 m−1. The majority of the Non-gley Recharge soils occur above 5-m elevation relative to an open water body and the majority of the Discharge soils occur below 5-m elevation relative to an open water body, reflecting the importance of solute cycling in the development of discharge conditions. Buried and depositional soils could not be predicted from current terrain attributes because their profile characteristics were derived from the paleosurface.