WHAT KEEPS PLANTS GROWING, RIVERS FLOWING? – AND WHERE POLLUTION MOVES! Pieter le Roux Hydroprdology Khuluma Sizwe Series.

WHAT KEEPS PLANTS GROWING, RIVERS FLOWING?

–

AND WHERE POLLUTION MOVES!

Pieter le Roux

HydroprdologyKhuluma Sizwe Series

HYDROPEDOLOGY- 60+ WORK YEARS

Conceptualisation• Simon Lorentz – process hydrology• Malcolm Hensley – soils are different

Quantification & modeling• Cornie van Huyssteen – soil morphology / drainable

water• Johan van Tol – hydrology of soil types, hillslopes• Bataung Kuenene – true for a catchment• Carl Freeze – confirmed the role of soils and hillslopes• Darren Bouwer – ancient, recent & current indicators• Martin Tinnefeld – possible in arid zones• George van Zijl – extrapolate it (affordable)

SOIL TYPES: RELIABLE INDICATORS• Control

– Hydrology– Vegetation

• Water supply• Fertility

• Leave signatures– Reliable, available

CAMEL THORN TREE ON DEEP SAND INTERFLOW SOIL(>2M DEEP

AVALONPINEDENE

BAINSVLEI)

Substrates of ecosystems

C B

E

DA

F

G

H

K

J I

CONCEPTUAL MODELOrthic A

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Flow Pathsot

Bedrock

CONCEPTUAL MODELOrthic A

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Flow Pathsot

Bedrock

SeasonsMonths

Weeks

Orthic A

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Flow Pathsot

Bedrock

POLLUTANTS?

Residence time (halve live)pH bufferBiodegradableCharge +/--

0 100 200 300 400 500 6000

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

NO3NH4

mg kg-1

Dept

h in

mm

0 100 200 300 400 500 6000

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

NO3NH4

mg kg-1

Dept

h in

mm

PEDOLOGY

Thinking Outside the Pit. . .

A Canadian Ecologist’s Perspective

Life, Pedology, The Universe and Everything – The Importance of Soil

• The main environmental issues currently facing the globe are soil dependant or soil mediated– Soil quality, sustainability and global food supply– Carbon dynamics and global climate change– Water quality and supply

Tool development• Provides the basis for Landscape and Site Level Management guides– Site hazards and best practices• Links to:– Productivity– Wetlands Definition, Delineation and Evaluation– Habitat (generally and species at risk)– Environmental assessment

Survey Crew with Original Ecological Soil Moisture Regime Concepts