Mapping soil properties in the West Castle watershed, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Information on soil properties is limited in the West Castle watershed. Therefore, this research aimed to aid environmental research in the watershed. Data on soil restrictive depth, soil texture, soil organic matter (SOM), and solum depth were acquired from 131 sites in the watershed. Stepwise linear regression modelling was used to find relationships between soil and environmental variables. The results were used to create maps predicting the spatial distribution of the soil properties in the study area. Modelling results indicated soils were highly sandy and contain more organic matter than previously thought. Vegetation type, height and density, and land cover type were found to be important variables in predicting soil properties, and as such could be beneficial for mapping soils in the future. Additionally, the research showed deeper soil restrictive depth than previously thought in the watershed and solum depth met expectations.