Soils and soilscapes of the Upper Volturno basin: a detailed survey of a large intermontane basin in the Central-Southern Apennines, Italy

Abstract

Soils of the Upper Volturno basin in the Central-Southern Apennines (Molise, Italy) were surveyed in detail. Trends in development are described with focus on the contrast between the mountain soils and the soils of the basin. Mountain soils are shallow and poorly developed. Topsoils in the central and eastern areas and on N-facing slopes have a large Late Pleistocene tephra component (Campi Flegrei) and are Andic. Basin soils from a distinct chronosequence: early Mid-Pleistocene deep highly weathered Chromic Luvisols/Nitosols in old surfaces of the fluvio-lacustrine fill, less developed soils in Late Pleistocene terraces and fans, and recent Fluvisols in the Holocene sediments of the Volturno River and tributaries. In the basin, Mid-Pleistocene Roccamonfina tephra play an important role. In the SW, it occurs as thick layers, blanketing the fluvio-lacustrine/fan deposits. The soil pattern clearly reflects the complex geological history of the basin, with prominent subsidence in the SW.

Keywords

• soil survey
• soil chronosequence
• tephra
• intermontane basin
• italy