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Soil Formation by Termites a Study in the Kisii Area, Kenya

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Soil Formation by Termites a Study in the Kisii Area, Kenya Soilformatio n by termites a study in the Kisii area, Kenya 0000 Promotoren: dr. ir. J. Bennema, emeritus hoogleraar in de tropische bodemkunde dr. L. van der Plas, persoonlijk hoogleraar in de bodemkunde en geologie W. G. Wielemaker Soil formation by termites a study in the Kisii area, Kenya Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor in de landbouwwetenschappen, op gezagva n de rector magnificus, ü v , },-,r H E E K dr C C Oosterlee OKR ^NDBOUWHOGESCHOOt in het openbaar te verdedigen WAGENINGEN op woensdag 24 oktober 1984 des namiddags tevie r uur in de aula van de Landbouwhogeschool te Wageningen. \S \J* X Nbl€? -Ol © 1984b y W.G.Wielemake r No part of thispublicatio nma y be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system,o r transmitted inan y form or byan ymeans ,mechanical , photocopying, recording, or otherwise,withou t theprio r written permission of theauthor . Copiesma y be purchased from theDepartmen t of Soil Science and Geology, Agricultural University,P.O . Box 37,670 0A A WAGENINGEN, The Netherlands. The price ofDfl . 16,-include s postage. At)0-l ?v<t ^°° STELLINGEN 1.Biologisch e processen ind e bodem zijn vanwezenlij k belang voor het voortbestaane n deontwikkelin g vankapitaal-arm e landbouwbedrijven in de tropen. Dit proefschrift. 2.He t verdient aanbeveling meer onderzoek tedoe naa n demanipulati e van de bodemfauna. Dit proefschrift. 3.D e biologische activiteit draagt, sterk bij tot eenverminderin g van de erodeerbaarheid vangronden . Bijd e bepaling van deK-fakto rword t hiermee over het algemeengee n rekening gehouden. Zie bijv.Greenland , D.J. enR . Lal (eds.) 1977.Soi lconservatio n and management in thehumi d tropics.Joh n Wiley and Sons. 4.Geomorfologe ngaa ne rmeesta lva n uit,da t "stone lines" in tropische bodems het gevolg zijn vanerosi e en sedimentatie.Dez e hypothese kan leiden totverkeerd e conclusies over landschapsvorming en over paleoklimaten. Zie bijv. Ab Saber,A.N. , 1982 in: Biological diversification in theTropics , p. 41-59 enRuhe , R.V., 1959.Soi l Sei. 87:223-231 . 5. Bijhe t opstellen van legenda's voor bodemkaarten,waarbi j moedermateriaal als indelingscriterium wordt gebruikt,houd t men vaak onvoldoende rekening met bijmenging vanaeolisch e sedimenten. "Reconnaissance Soil Survey Reports"va n deKeny a Soil Survey. 6. Genese en eigenschappen van gronden met weinig actief aluminium maar toch veel röntgenamorfmateriaa l zijn onvoldoende onderzocht. Wielemaker,W.G .e n T. Wakatsuki, 1984.Geoderm a 32:21-44 . 7.Vee l eigenschappen vankleideeltje s wordenmee r bepaald door de aard van het oppervlak dandoo r hun chemische samenstelling en struktuur. BÜLÏOTHEEK ÏANDB0UWHOGKSCHQOL WAGENINGEN 8.He tveelvuldi g voorkomenva n Planosolen opvulkanisch e as zoals o.a. be­ schrevenvoo r Chilie n Colombia,hang t samen met de grote mobiliteit van de klei. Chili: ServicioAgricol a yGanadero , 1968.Estudi o agrologico delare a del embalse digua,7 2p . Colombia:Faivre ,P. , 1977.Scienc e du Sol 2:95-108 . 9. In zijnbesprekin g van de goede resultaten van"multipl e cropping systems" veronachtzaamt Sanchez tenonrecht e de invloed van debodemfaun a en de bodem­ flora. Sanchez,P.A. , 1976.Propertie s and management of soils in the tropics.Joh n Wiley and Sons. 10. Gevleugelde termieten (alaten) zouden een belangrijker deelkunne n uit­ maken vand evoedin g van de bevolking ind e tropen dan thans het gevalis . 11. Tot de zorg voor onsmilie u behoort ook de handhaving van dewinke l op de hoek. Proefschrift vanW.G . Wielemaker Soil formation bytermites ,a stud y in theKisi iarea ,Keny a Wageningen,2 4 oktober 1984 Abstract Wielemaker, W.G., 1984.Soi l formation by termites,a study in theKisi i area, Kenya.Doctora l thesis,Departmen t of Soil Science and Geology, Agricultural University,Wageninge n (Xll)+ 132p. ,1 6 tables,3 9 figs, 119refs , 4 appen­ dices,Dutc h summary. Mineralogicalan d chemical characteristics of samples froma number of soilswer e used todemonstrat e that soil materials fromvolcani cas han d local rock are thoroughly mixed. Themineralogy ,micromorpholog y and grain-size distributionwer e studied toestimat e the role of termites inmixin g soilmaterial s and in forming physical properties.Effect s of other processes onmixin g and on formation or decay ofphysical-propertie swer e also estimated. The role of termites informin g horizons free of gravelunderlai n by stone lines,an d in slope processes,wa s estimated from ananalysi s ofgrain - size distribution andmineralog y of soils ina catena.Measurement s of slope transport were also made. The significanceo f termites for soilconservatio n and fora sustained use of the land,i s discussed. Keywords :termites ,mixing , soil formation,agro-ecosystems ,mineralogy , volcanic ash. Aan mijn ouders Aan Ad, Martin, Erik en Sander Acknowledgements I thank professorDr .P . Buringh,wh o offered me the opportunity to do my thesis work inKenya . I am greatly indebted toprofesso r Dr.J . Bennema,wh o encouraged and stimulated me inman y refreshing and friendly discussions,firs t in Kenya and afterwards inWageningen . In this context I should not forget tomentio n Mrs.Bennem a forhe r hospitality during theman y sessions whilew e discussed themanuscript . Thanks to the continuous support andhelpfu l suggestions of professorDr .L .va n derPlas , Iwa s able todevelo p the appropriate mineralogicalmethod s soessentia l for the theme of my work. TheWanjar e catenawoul d not have beens o thoroughly sampled and described if Dr.S- .Slage rha s not been there toassis tm ean d the students during fieldwork inKeny a and micromorphologicalwor k in Wageningen. I thank theKenya n authorities, particularly Mr.W.W .Wapakala , for the confidence entrusted in our University,whe n itapplie d for permission to start a field training programme inKenya .Tha t allowed me tokno w soman y fine people in this part of Africaan d to establish contacts withman y institutes and research organisations. Ihighl y appreciate,amon g others,th e long-lasting and friendly cooperationwit h theKeny a Soil Survey (Dr.N.N .Nyanda t andMr . F.N. Muchena), the University of Nairobi,Facult y of Agriculture (professor Dr. P.Ah n and professor Dr.S.O . Keya)an dwit h theNationa l Agricultural Research Stationa tKisi i (Mr.W . Nzabi). Ials o convey my thanks to theDepartmen t ofGeolog y andMines ,whic h offered its facilities to investigate certain chemicalan d mineralogical characteristics ofvolcani c ash. I am grateful to thefollowin g persons,wh o werewit hm e inKisii : - H.W. Boxernfo r creating thenecessar y facilities, forassistanc e with analyses and for much practicaladvice . - The students, (at present graduated)wh o Iguide d during research and who directly contributed to this thesis:P.N . Boerma,R.F . Breimer, Mrs. C.H.M.Duyker s van derLinden ,Mrs .J.M .Guikin g Lens,J . Hayma, MissM . Nachenius,H .va nReuier ,J.H.M .Scholte nan d P.A. van der Werff;als oE.M.G.C.A .Duykers ,Mis sE .va nLint ,K .Muilwij k andA.P . Oosterom,whos e work Indirectly contributed to thisthesis . - R.F.M. Onck and C.Kooyma nfo r theman y fruitful discussions about a subjectwhic h is our commoninterest ,namel y thesignificanc e of termites for soils and land-use. - D.va n der Eyk forhi s interestan d cooperation. - Mrs.E .O p deBee k andL .Wolk e for ahospitabl ehome . - Thefieldassistant sE .Maeta ,C . Faniako,T .Kananga ,M . Nyabonda, J. Nyambane, S.Nyareg a for their dedicationan d perseverance. For datespresente d in this thesis and for preparation of the thesis I owemuc h topersonne l of the following Institutions in theNetherlands : Department of Soil Saienoe and Geology: - J.D.J,va nDoesbur g andA.J .Kuype r forX-ra y diffractometry and X-ray fluorescence work. - A. Engelsma formechanica lanalysi s andminera lseparations . - Dr.A.J .Having aan dR.M . van den Berg van Saparoea for palynology. - P.G.M.Verstee g for thedrawings . - Mrs.G .va nDinter-Deurin g and Mrs.J . Al.Sheikh-Haalboom for textprocessing. - Z.va nDruute n for photography. - Dr.P.M . Drlessen,P.J . Melitz,R .Miedem aan d Th.Pap e for helpful suggestions. The 'Stichting voor Isotopen Geologisch Onderzoek' at Amsterdam: - Dr.P.A.M .Andriesse n for fission track dating. International Soil Reference and Information Centre: - R. Bleiert forphotograph y of thinsections . The 'Stiahting Wereldvoedselvoorsiening': - H. Schouten for advice on modelling. I thankMr .J . Dighton for checking theEnglish . Finally Ithan k Ad,m ywife ,an d my three sons that they tolerated the absent-mindedness of theirhusban d and father,whe nhi s thoughts lingered soofte nwit h termites. Itwa s greatho w you,Ad ,alway s found time to type thenumerou s drafts of thisthesis . CURRICULUM VITAE De auteur werd geboren in 1942 teSilvolde . In 1960behaald e hij het diploma gymnasium- baa n het gemeentelijk Lyceum teDoetinchem , waarna hij aansluitend zijn studie aan deLandbouwhogeschoo l te Wageningen, begon. In 1968studeerd e hij af ind e regionale bodemkunde (tropische specialisatie)me t als keuzevakken de algemene bodemkunde en bemestingsleer en de cultuurtechniek. Van 1968 tot 1971wa s de auteur als assistentdeskundige bijd e FÀ0 werkzaam in bodemkarteringsprojekten t.b.v.irrigatie , in Chili.I n 1971 werd hij aangesteld alsmedewerke r tropische bodemkunde'bijd e vakgroep Bodemkunde en Geologie van de Landbouwhogeschool. Indi e funktie was hij o.a.werkzaa m inTurkij e (1971)e nKeni a (1973-1979),waa r hij leiding gaf aan bodemkundig onderzoek en onderwijs in projekten van deze vakgroep. InKeni a verrichtte hij tevens zijn promotieonderzoek, dat hij verder inWageninge
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