The Eleventh International Congress of Soil Science Edmonton, Canada June 1978
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THE ELEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF SOIL SCIENCE EDMONTON, CANADA JUNE 1978 GUIDEBOOK FOR A SOILS AND LAND USE TOUR IN THE COASTAL WESTERN HEMLOCK AND DOUGLAS FIR REGIONS OF VANCOUVER ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA TOUR 4 I. COTIC Resource Analysis Branch, Ministry of Agriculture, Kelowna J.A. DANGERFIELD Fisheries and Environment Canada, Canadian Forestry Service, Victoria A.J. GREEN Agriculture Canada, Soil Research Institute, Vancouver J.R. JUNGEN Ministry of Environment, Resource Analysis Branch, Kelowna Guidebook Editors D.F. Acton and L.S. Crosson CDA Soil Research Institute Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology Contribution 651 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS CONTRIBUTORS AND SPONSORS N.F. Alley (glacial history, surficial geology) Resource Analysis Branch, Ministry of Environment~ Victoria J.E. Armstrong (glacial history) Geological Survey of Canada, Energy Mines and Resources T.E. Baker (forest soils) Forest Research Division, Ministry of Forests, Victoria W. Bourgeois (technical assistance) MacMillan Bloedel Limited, Nanaimo J.A. Brierley (soil micromorphology) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Vancouver K.S. Chan (soil analysis) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Vancouver J.H. Day (soil taxonomy, morphology) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa A.L. Farley (resources atlas) Geography Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver R. Guertin (soil micromorphology) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa N. Keser (forest soils (deceased)) Forest Research Division, Ministry of Forests, Victoria H. Kodama (clay mineralogy) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa B.D. Lawson (fire history) Canadian Forestry Service, Fisheries and Environment, Victoria L.M. Lavkulich (soil taxonomy) Department of Soil Science, University of B.C., Vancouver T.M. Lord (soil correlator) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Vancouver S.R. Lord (technical assistance, hospitality) British Columbia Forest Products Limited, Crofton L.E. Lowe (soil organic matter) Department of Soil Science, University of B.C., Vancouver i i i W.H. Mathews (geology) Geological Science Centre, University of B.C., Vancouver N. Miles (clay mineralogy) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa S. Nichols (technical assistance, hospitality) British Columbia Forest Products Limited, Crofton V. Osborne (soil analysis) Soils Branch, Ministry of Agriculture, Kelowna E.T. Oswald (forest ecologist) Canadian Forestry Service, Fisheries and Environment, Victoria G. Rendel (dairy farmer) Central Saanich G.C. Ross (clay mineralogy) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa G.G. Runka (agricultural land capability) British Columbia Land Commission, Vancouver J. Scales (typing) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Vancouver J. Senyk (forest resources) Canadian Forestry Service, Fisheries and Environment, Victoria F.J. Sowden (soil nitrogen) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa J. Sprout (library research) summer student, Department of Soil Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver P.N. Sprout (resource facilities) Resource Analysis Branch, Ministry of Environment, Victoria R.L. Taylor (botany) Botanical Garden, University of British Columbia, Vancouver K.W.G. Valentine (soil micromorphology) Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Vancouver J. Zacharias (forage crops) Crops Branch, Ministry of Agriculture, Victoria Agriculture Canada, Research Station, Sidney (lunch facilities and hospitality) Agriculture Canada, Soil Research Institute, Ottawa (map reproduction, typing) British Columbia Forest Products Limited, Port Renfrew Camp (technical assist ance and hospitality) iv Fisheries and Environment, Qualicum River Hatchery (hospitality) Fisheries and Environment, Victoria (technical facilities, hospitality) Ministry of Agriculture, Victoria and Kelowna (agricultural crops, soils) Ministry of Environment, Victoria and Kelowna (resource facilities) MacMillan Bloedel Limited, Nanaimo (technical assistance) Parks Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs, Pacific Rim National Park (technical assistance) Rayonier Canada (B.C.) Limited, Victoria (facilities) Stanhope Farms (G. Rendel and Sons), Central Saanich (dairy farm operators and hospitality) v TABLE OF CONTENTS page INTRODUCTION.......................................................... l GENERAL ITINERARY..................................................... 1 SOILS AND LAND USE.................................................... 3 Physiography and Geology......................................... 3 Climate.............. 9 Vegetation....................................................... 9 Soils............................................................ 13 Soils on Colluvial Deposits ..................... ~........... 15 Soils on Fluvial Deposits................................... 15 Soils on Morainal Deposits.................................. 16 Soils on Organic Deposits................................... 16 Soils on Marine Deposits.................................... 18 Soil Formation ................................................... 18 Land Use ....................... :................................. 19 The Canada Land Inventory..... 20 Agri cul tura 1 Capabi 1i ty...... 20 The Agricultural Land Reserve............................... 21 Forestry Capabi 1 i ty ........................................ 21 ··. Recreation Capability....................................... 21 Wildlife Capability......................................... 22 DAY 1: VANCOUVER..................................................... 24 DAY 2: VANCOUVER TO VICTORIA......................................... 24 Site 1: Orthic Humic Gleysol................................. 28 Site 2: Terrie Humisol....................................... 31 DAY 3: VICTORIA TO DUNCAN AND RETURN................................. 33 Site 3: Durie Dystric Bruni sol............................... 34 Site 4: Sombric Ferro-Humic Podzol (Durie)................... 36 DAY 4: VICTORIA TO PARKSVILLE........................................ 38 Site 5: Durie Ferro-Humic Podzol.. ....... ... .. .... ........... 41 DAY 5: PARKSVILLE TO TOFINO AND RETURN............................... 44 Site 6: Placic Humo-Ferric Podzol....... ... .. ...... .... ..... 46 Site 7: Orthic Dystric Brunisol. ... .. .... ... ........ .... ..... 48 DAY 6: PARKSVILLE TO VANCOUVER....................................... 51 Site 8: Durie Humo-Ferric Podzol. ......... .. .... .. ... ........ 51 DAY 7: VANCOUVER TO EDMONTON......................................... 54 REFERENCES APPENDIX A: DETAILED SITE AND PEDON DESCRIPTIONS .................... 61 APPENDIX B: THE CANADIAN SYSTEM OF SOIL CLASSIFICATION .............. 84 APPENDIX C: PLANTS COMMONLY FOUND ON VANCOUVER ISLAND ............... 86 APPENDIX D: METHODS OF ANALYSES ...............•...................... 89 APPENDIX E: FORMAT FOR MICROMORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS .............. 90 APPENDIX F: NITROGEN DISTRIBUTION IN CANADIAN SOILS ................. 92 APPENDIX G: SELECTED ORGANIC FRACTION PROPERTIES .................... 94 APPENDIX H: HISTORY OF THE TAYLOR RIVER FIRE ........................ 97 APPENDIX I: SELECTED CLIMATIC DATA .................................. vi LIST OF TABLES Page l. Stratigraphic sequences in the Coastal Lowland of British Columbia 7 2. The biogeocl imatic subzones of Vancouver Island . 12 3. Relationships of dominant soil development to parent material and biogeoclimatic zone . .. .. .. ...... .. .......... .... .. ... ... ......... 17 4. Analytical data for the Orthic Humic Gleysol at site 1 . 62 5. Analytical data for the Terrie Humisol at site 2 . 65 6. Analytical data for the Durie Dystric Brunisol at site 3 . 68 7. Analytical data for the Sombric Ferro-Humic Podzol at site 4 71 8. Analytical data for the Durie Ferro-Humic Podzol at site 5 . .. .. .. 74 9. Analytical data for the Placic Humo-Ferric Podzol at site 6 77 10. Analytical data for the Orthic Dystric Brunisol at site 7 . 80 ll. Analytical data for the Durie Humo-Ferric Podzol at site 8 . .. 83 12. Selected organic fraction properties ... .. .. ... ... ... .. .. 94 13. Proportions of different nitrogen components of mineral and organic horizons of representative Canadian soils ................ 96 14. Precipitation at selected stations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 99 15. Temperature at selected stations . 100 16. Growing degree days and sunshine at selected stations .. .. .. .. 101 17. Frost at selected stations .... .. ...... ......... ... ... ... ... .. .. .. 102 LIST OF FIGURES l. General map of British Columbia and Vancouver Island . 2 2. Generalized geological map of Vancouver Island . .. 4 3. Physiographic units of Vancouver Island . .. 5 4. Climate of Vancouver Island . ............. ...... .... .. ............ 8 5. Climatic graphs for selected stations on Vancouver Island ...... .. 10 6. Biogeoclimatic Zones of British Columbia . .. 11 7. Soil map of British Columbia . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 8. Day 2 route map . 25 9. Day 2 site and stop location map . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 27 10. Day 3 site and stop location map . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 ll. Day 4 site and stop location map ....... ......... ... .............. 39 12. Day 5 site and stop location map . ................................ 41 13. Day 6 site and stop location map .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 52 14. Atmospheric Environment Services weather recording installation 1 located at Agriculture Canada S Research Station at Saanichton (site l ) .