Other Soils

Abstract

Mollisols and Vertisols are locally found in alluvial or marine terraces from basic or ultrabasic parent rocks in the Coastal Range of eastern Taiwan. According to the U.S. Soil Taxonomy, three soil orders can be identified on different levels of marine terraces in eastern Taiwan (Entisols, Mollisols, and Vertisols). Hapluderts are distributed on the first-level terrace. Hapludolls and are the main soil groups. These soils display a “post-incisive” type of soil chronosequence, suggesting a developmental sequence from Hapludolls to Hapluderts. This sequence is common to soils on marine terraces in a range of different climates. However, the advanced degree of development of the soils on the older terraces indicates very rapid soil development despite their Holocene ages in Taiwan. There are some lakes in closed depressions on high mountain areas along the Central Ridge in association with dense coniferous forests. Additionally, the climate is generally characterized by cool and humid conditions in these ecosystems, so that a large amount of organic matter from plant debris was accumulated in the lake to form Histosols.