Effect of sediments on formation and evolution of soils in Benaft area of Kasilian basin in Mazandaran

The different morphological, physical, and geochemical properties of soils reflect the difference in the chemical composition of the parent materials. Due to the importance of the effect of soil properties on many management programs, the present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the evolution of different soils in some lands of Kasilian basin in Mazandaran, Iran. For this purpose, seven profiles were excavated from different profiles and sections under study as the control profiles in forest, rangeland, and agricultural land uses of the region with different geological formations. The samples were transferred to the laboratory and the physical and chemical properties were determined. The soils were then classified according to the 2014 keys. The evolution levels of different soils and the reasons for this difference were compared. The study results showed that the climate is almost the same in the region and its effect on the soil is also similar. However, what even alleviates the impact of climate and forms diverse soils in the region is the diversity of geological formations, slope, and relief. The role of humans in cutting down forest trees and occupying lands around residential areas and changing the land use is among the factors affects the situation of soils in the current conditions. The comparison of soils in the occupied lands with those in the forest lands shows how much the soil degradation has progressed, and the presence of entisols and inceptisols in the vicinity of mollisols shows the soil change in similar natural conditions due to the land use change. The results can be a model of soil change and land use in Hyrcanian forests. It is recommended to provide conditions to stop deforestation in the area and allow the natural growth of forest trees in the abandoned lands.