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Analysis of Soils at Royal Roads University
by Waterose et. al.
Section 1. Introduction:
The analysis of landforms and soils is important to understand the physical processes that create the environment. Landforms are created by orogenesis and weathering. The combination of weathering, climate and vegetation acting on the parent material create soils. A soil is defined as a naturally occurring, unconsolidated mineral or organic material that is at least ten centimetres thick that occurs at the earth’s surface and is capable of supporting plant growth (Agriculture, 1987). Taxonomic classifications of soils in Canada are determined by a combination of techniques including field observations and laboratory analysis.
The scope of this report includes the analysis of three soil samples obtained within the study boundaries of the Royal Roads University (RRU) grounds in Victoria, B.C. on the south-east tip of Vancouver Island. The total area of the RRU grounds is 57.6 hectares or 140 acres (Royal, 1997).The objective was to propose a classification of two soil samples at the Sub-group level based on the analysis and to complete a permeability analysis on a third sample. The sample locations are identified in Figure 1: Map of Soil Sample Locations. The soils in this area are described as podzols by the Madrone Ecological Assessment in 1995 (Madrone, 1995), or as brunisols by the Soil Survey Report (Jungen, 1985). According to the Soil Survey report, the mapped soil associations are Quamichan and Saanichton. The most common soils in these associations are Duric Dystric Brunisols and Orthic Sombric Brunisols respectively.
This area is part of the Coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) biogeoclimatic zone (Madrone,1995). The climate is cool Mediterranean with warm dry summers, mild wet winters and receives almost 1,000 mm of precipitation annually.
The bedrock of this area has been identified as Eocene lavas (Madrone, 1995) which were formed approximately 36-58 million years before present (YBP) (Maynard, 1977). In addition there are breccias and tuffs of the Metchosin Formation (Madrone, 1995). This region has experienced three periods of glaciation; the most recent Fraser glaciation occurred 26-11 thousand YBP (Maynard, 1977). This area is currently in a warm interglacial period (Maynard, 1977). During this warm period, the glaciers retreated leaving extensive glacio-marine deposits in a deltaic marine environment that was submerged (Madrone, 1995). The layers of glacial till and fluvio-glacial sands overlay the bedrock (Madrone, 1995). The geologic history is illustrated in Figure 2: Geologic History.
There are several features on RRU grounds that provide evidence of glaciation. The Douglas-fir forest grows in a large U-shaped valley that was formed by glacial outwash. There is a large depression in the forest that was a kettle lake formed by the melt down of a large chunk of glacial ice. There is a deep gravel pit that provides evidence of the significant amount of glacial till deposited. The southern portion of the property is a low level till plain which is sharply delineated from the northern portion of the property by a sharp elevated forested ridge. There are springs at the base line of the ridge which saturate the lower fields which are dominated by grasses and alders. The study area can be broadly described as a flood plain.
There has been significant clearing and anthropogenic disturbances of the natural vegetation including clearing of the Douglas-fir forests for road construction, grazing of livestock, quarrying for gravel and construction of the existing buildings.
To Section 2. Field Sampling:
Index:
- Introduction:
- Field Sampling:
- Laboratory Analysis:
- Soil Classification:
- References:
- Postscript:
- Tables and Figures
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