1st International DOST-SEI ASTHRDP-NSC Scholars' Conference

“Benchmarking S&T Towards Enhancing Global Competitiveness”

Date: April 7 – 8, 2016 (Thursday and Friday), starts at 8:00 AM
Venue: Philippine International Convention Center (PICC)
PICC Complex 1307, Pasay City, Metro Manila

Evaluation of Soil Development Indices

for Highly Weathered Soils in Samar
Island, Philippines
Olguera1, D.T. and V.B. Asio2
1Department 2Department Soil Science
of Agriculture
College of Agriculture and Related Sciences College of Agriculture and Food Science
University of Southeastern Philippines Visayas State University
Tagum-Mabini Campus Main Campus
Email: dtolguera@vsu.edu.ph Email: vbasio@yahoo.com.ph
Highly Weathered Soils
Red soils

Acidic condition

Exchangeable Bases
Deficient

Infertile
Eastern Visayas
Highly weathered soils
Northern Samar In the Philippines,
8, 153,375 ha (26.%) (PCCARD, 2006)
Samar
Ultisols cover,
Biliran 8, 113,453 ha (26.6%)
Eastern Samar
Oxisols cover,
39, 992 ha (0.2%) (Carating et al., 2014)
Leyte

In Samar Island,
322, 287.12 ha (24%) (Navarrete et al., 2011)
Southern Leyte
In Leyte Island,
519, 506 ha (65%) (Asio, 2006)
Highly Weathered Soil

Soil Evaluation
Comprehensive Analysis and Inclusive
Inquiry
 Fundamentals of Soil Evaluation
Marginal/Degraded
Soils

Soil Resource Soil Evaluation Sustainable Land-use

Landscape
Rehabilitation
Mitigation of resource degradation, environment
preservation and ecosystem protection
Soil Evaluation
Gap in the Soil’s Study

Complex Methods Pedogenesis

Soil Formation
Random Procedures Soils Data
Complex and Varied
Soil Development
Dynamic Analysis
(Field or Laboratory)
Soil Functions

Comprehensive Understanding of the Soil Environment

Indices
Gap ofSoil
in the SoilDiscourse
Development as Channel

Soils data
(Complex and varied)

Indices of Soil Development

Comprehensive Understanding of the Soil Environment

Hypothesis of the Study
◦ This study is based on the hypothesis that such indices will
worked in the Philippines settings despite of its complications
in the utilization provided that modification are made for the
indices to worked well in any given highly weathered soils of
the Philippines.
Objectives of the Study
This study aims:
1. To compare the different soil development indices in evaluating
pedogenesis of highly weathered soil in Samar Island, Philippines.
2. To find a quantitative index of soil development that will fit in
evaluating pedogenesis of highly weathered soils in the Central
Philippines.
Research Methods
Research Area
Bagacay
Sta. Rita, Samar (Olguera,
2013) Maydolong
Sta. Rita
Salcedo
Maydolong, Eastern Samar
Bagacay, Hinabangan, Samar
(Navarrete et al., 2007)
Salcedo, Eastern Samar
(Navarrete et al., 2007)
Eastern Visayas, Philippines
 Site characteristics of the sampling sites in Samar Island

Site Characteristics
Profile No 1 2 3 4
Location Brgy. Tulay, Sta. Rita Maydolong, Eastern Samar (Present Brgy. Bagacay, Hinabangan, Brgy. Naparaan, Salcedo, Eastern
Samar Study) Samar Samar
Coordinates N11.42953 N 11.482278 N 11.802272 N 11.146971
E 125.004408 E 125.436528 E 125.241702 E 125.674611
Elevation 30 m ASL 128 m asl 400 m asl 50 m asl
Landform medium-gradient hill medium-gradient hill dissected plateau medium-gradient hill
Slope Position Backslope Summit (Crest) Backslope Backslope
Slope Gradient Sloping Sloping Sloping Sloping
Parent Material Shale Ultrabasic igneous Slate Serpentinized Ultrabasic Rock
Soil Moisture Udic Udic Udic Udic
Regime
Soil Temperature Isohyperthermic Isohyperthermic Isohyperthermic Isohyperthermic
Erosion Slight Water Erosion Slight Water Erosion Slight Water Erosion Slight Water Erosion
Rock None None Few Few
outcrops/stoniness
Drainage Well-drained Well-drained Udic Udic
Land-use Agricultural Farm Abandoned Agricultural Farm Forest Dipterocarp forest
Vegetation Roots and Tubers Grasses, Decidous Woods Mussaenda philippica, Physalis angulata, Artocarpus
Physalis blancoi,Saccharum
angulata,Dicranopteris spontaneum and Imperata
linearis, Saccharum cylindrica.
spontaneum, Imperata
cylindrica,
 Geology of the sampling sites in Samar Island

Profile No Parent Material Relative Age

1 Shale Upper Miocene-Lower Pliocene
2 Ultrabasic igneous Oligocene-Miocene
3 Slate Oligocene-Miocene
Serpentinized
4 Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene
Ultrabasic
Relief and climatic map of the sampling sites in Samar Island

Relief map Climatic map

Research Methods

Survey and field characterization

Soil Development Indices
Color Indices

Soil Color Munsell Color Chart

Color Indices
Munsell Color Notation

Hue
Operationalize Value in Color Index
Value the Index Formula Value
Chroma
Color Indices
Buntley-Westin Index
BWI = No. of hue x Chroma
Hurst Index
HI = (No. of Hue x Munsell Value) / Munsell Chroma
Redness Rating Index
RRI = ((10 – H) x C) / V
 Color Indices

No. of Hue 10 YR 7.5 YR 5 YR 2.5 YR 10 R

Buntley-Westin Index 3 4 5 6 7
Hurst Index 20 17.5 15 12.5 10
Redness Rating Index 10 7.5 5 2 0
 Field/Morphology Indices

Field Examination of soil

properties:
Argillans
Texture Operationalize
Wet consistence, through Data
Rubification, Field/Morphology
Normalization and Indices Value
Structure, Statistical Procedures
Dry consistence, of Indices
Moist consistence,
Color value and
pH.
Field/Morphology Indices Morphological
Expression
Key
Character
Horizon© Defining
Characteristics
Degree of
Mineral
Alteration

Follmer Index 0 None

1 “Not soil”
Geologic
Geologic
D or R
C or Cr D R
Unaltered Sediment
Evidence of a
None
Detectable
(protosoil) land surface-
(1-10 ordinal scheme) altered
horizon (C) over
unaltered material
2 Weak Weak Solum A C D/R Evidence of an A/C Slight
(“band”) profile
© The use of the D and Btt horizon 3 Weak Weak B A Bw C D/R Evidence of an Weak
designation is informal A/Bw/C profile
4 Moderate Weak E or Bt A E Bt C D First evidence of Bt Weak
Source: Follmer (1998) R or E/Bt horizons
5 Strong “Normal” E A E Bt BCt “Normal” Bt or E/Bt Weak
and Bt C D/R horizon
6 Very Strong Thick E and A E Bt Bt Ct Thick Bt or E/Bt Moderate
Bt D/R horizon
7 Very Strong Maximum Bt A E Btt Bt Ct Occurrence of a Bt Moderate
D/R horizon with > 50%
clay (Btt)
8 Strong Thick AE Bt Bto Ct Occurrence of a Bto Strong
Horizon Cr R horizon
9 Moderate “?” EA Bto Bo Transitional Very
Ct Cr R Strong
10 Weak Poor EA Bo Bo Ct Occurrence of a Bo Complete
Horizonation Cr R horizon
Field/Morphology Indices
Bilzi-Ciolkosz (B-C) Index
Relative Horizon Distinctness (RHD) index.
One point is assigned for each unit difference in color, texture, structure,
consistence, mottles, horizon boundary and argillans.
Field/Morphology Indices
Harden Index
Profile Development Index (PDI)
Modification of B-C index, as 10 points are assigned for each unit difference argillans,
texture plus wet consistence, rubification, structure, dry consistence, moist consistence,
color value and pH.
Field/Morphology Indices
Index of Profile Anisotropy (IPA)
The IPA is defined as:
IPA = ∑ D (100/M)
where D is the mean deviation of a horizon from the overall
weighted mean value for a profile (M).
horizon deviation values are summed for each horizon to arrive at
the IPA.
Field/Morphology Indices
Modified Index of Profile Anisotrophy (mIPA)
mIPA = ∑ [(t.D)/PM] / T
where D is the numerical deviation of a soil property from that of the
parent material (PM).
Deviations are determined for each horizon and then multiplied by
horizon thickness (t).
The sum of these values is then divided by a profile thickness (T).
Laboratory Indices

Data will be
operationalized Laboratory
in the index Index Value
formula

Laboratory Analysis
Laboratory Indices
Profile Maximum Clay Content (PMCC)
Clay content of the B horizon are usually used and mean are quantified for
horizon basis.

Profile-Weighted Clay Content (PWCC)

Maximum clay content are weighted through PMCC values
multiplied with the horizon depth and are then added to obtain profile
bases.
Laboratory Indices
Clay Accumulation Index (CAI)
CAI = ∑ [(ClayBt – ClayC) x T]

Silt: Clay Ratio

Based on the principle of Van Wambeke (1962) that soil
composition tend to move into clay fraction as weathering
progresses.
Results and Discussions
 Table 2. Morphological, physical and chemical characteristics of highly weathered soils in Samar Island, Philippines
Consistence
Horizons Depth (cm) Color (Moist) Texture Structure Horizon Boundary pH
Moist Wet

Profile 1 Sta. Rita, Samar Upper Miocene (24 million) to Lower Pliocene (5 million) origin
Ap 0-10 10 YR 3/4 sic 2msbk fr sst, spl c,s 4.15
AB 10-24 10 YR 5/6 sic 2msbk fi sst, spl c,s 3.75
Bt 24-44 10 YR 5/6 sic 2fsbk fi sst, spl c,s 4.07
C 44-59 10 YR 4/6 sac 2fsbk fi sst, spl c,s 3.98
Profile 2 Maydolong, Eastern Samar Oligocene (37 million) to Miocene (24 million) origin
Ap 0-10 7.5 YR 5/6 sil 1vfgr vfr sst,spl c,s 5.05
Bw 10-18 5 YR 6/8 sil 2vfsbk vfr sst,spl c,s 5.14
Bt1 18-48 2.5 YR 5/8 hc 2vfsbk fr vst,vpl g,s 5.08
Bt2 48-76 2.5 YR 5/8 hc 2vfsbk fr vst,vpl c,s 5.10
BC 76-below 5 YR 6/8 hc 2vfsbk fr vst,vpl 4.97
Profile 3 Hinabangan, Samar Oligocene (37 million) to Miocene (24 million) origin
Ah 0-5 5 YR 5/6 sic 2f-mgr fi-fr sst,spl c,s 5.8
BA 5-20 2.5 YR 5/6 sic 2f-mgr fi-fr sst,spl c,s 5.8
Bt1 20-60 2.5 YR 6/8 hc 2f-mabk-sbk vfr st, pl c,s 5.3
Bt2 60-100 10 R 4/6 hc 2f-mabk-sbk vfr st-vsti, spl-pl c,s 5.2
Bt3 100-165 10 R 4/8 hc 2f-mabk-sbk vfr st-vsti, spl-pl d 5.1
Bt4 165-225 10 R 4/6 hc 2msbk vfr st-vsti, spl-pl d 5.1
Bt5 225-275 10 R 4/6 hc 2m-csbk vfr st-vsti, spl-pl d 5.2
Bt6 275-350 10 R 4/8 hc 2m-csbk vfr st-vsti, spl-pl d 5.1
Bt7 350-500 10 R 4/6 hc 2m-csbk vfr st-vsti, spl-pl c,s 5.1
Bt8 500-550 10 R 4/6 hc 2m-csbk vfr st-vsti, spl-pl c,s 5.3
Profile 4 Salcedo, Eastern Samar Upper Cretaceous (144 million) to Paleocene (65 million) origin
A 0-5 2.5YR 3/6 c 3cgr fr p,s a,s 5.55
Bt1 5-19 2.5YR 3/6 c 2mbk fi vp,vs c,s 6.1
Bt2 19-38 2.5YR 3/6 c 3mbk fi vp,vs d 6.05
Bt3 38-62 2.5YR 3/6 c m fi vp,vs c,s 5.99
BC 62-84 2.5YR 3/4 c m fi vp,vs c,s 6.28
C 84+ 2.5YR 3/4 c m fi vp,vs 6.26

Symbols:
Soil structure: Consistence:
Soil texture: Grade Size Type Moist Wet Horizon Boundary:
sic - silty clay 1 – weak f – fine gr - granular fr – friable nst - nonsticky Distinctnes Topography
sil – silt loam 2 – moderate m – moderate abk – angular blocky vfr – very friable sst – slightly sticky a – abrupt s - smooth
cl – clay loam 3 – strong c – coarse sbk - subangular blocky fi – firm vst – very sticky c – clear w - wavy
l – loam vfi – very firm npl - nonplastic g – gradual
sicl – silty clay loam pl – plastic d - diffuse
vpl – very plastic
Soil Development and Highly
Weathered Soil Evaluation
Indices of Soil Development

Color Indices
Field/Morphology Indices
Laboratory Indices
 Color Indices

Samar Highly Weathered Soils

Field/Morphology Indices
Laboratory Indices
Soil Development and Relative Age Relationship

Samar Highly Weathered Soils

 Quantitative data of highly weathered soils at different ages in Samar Island

Soil in Bagacay,
Soil in Sta. Rita, Soil in Maydolong, Soil in Salcedo,
Soil Properties Hinabangan,
Samar Eastern Samar Eastern Samar
Samar

18 44 44.5 43.43
Buntley and Westin Indexa
Hurst Indexa 16.67 9.53 7.06 6.9
Redness Rating Indexa 0b 9.33 14.88 14.82
Follmer Index 4 6 8 8
Relative Horizon Distinctness 15.57 23.09 71.24 76.13
Profile Development Index 15.01 21.97 59.76 70.19
Index of Profile Anisotropy 12.99 29.52 91.84 86.52
Modified Index of Profile
0.27 0.33 0.69 0.48
Anisotropy
Profile Maximum Clay Contentc 41.9 64.11 69.2 86.6
Profile-Weighted Clay Contentc 30 54.3 52.25 81.55
Clay Accumulation Index (cm) 1.53 11.92 20.42 22.7
Silt: Clay Ratio 1.61 0.87 0.64 0.28

a Average value in the Bw and Bt horizon

b
Redness rating index did not work in soils having 10 YR hue.
c
Clay content of the B horizon
Quantitative indices value of highly weathered soils in Samar
Conclusion
Based on the results of the study, it may be concluded that:
The indices follow specific patterns or trend as development advances. Buntley-
Westin index and redness rating index increases as soil development advances
while Hurst index follows a decreasing trend. All field indices follows an increasing
trend as soil development progresses. Moreover, all laboratory indices except silt:
clay ratio follow the same trend.
No single index can explain complete process of soil development. Soil
development can be fully understood with field and laboratory data, thus any
index that can integrate these variables are efficient in evaluating highly
weathered soils in the Central Philippines.
Recommendations
• The results of this study would be useful in pedological studies and geomorphological
understanding of the highly weathered soils in the Central Philippines.
• It can initiate a new paradigm of pedological studies and can provide a pivotal means
in comprehensive inquiry of the soil environment.
• However, various requirements need to be met in utilizing the indices.
• Parent material comparison to the horizon properties should be taken into careful
examination.
• Over-estimation and under-estimation can be met obtained if misquantification are
made.
• Further tests of the indices into a chronosequence can evaluate the sensitivity and
capability of indices in appraising soil development of highly weathered soils in the
Philippines.
Future Potential of Soil Development Researches
in the Philippines

Quantitative Indices of Soil Development Research for Healthy Environment

Save the soil…
…to save our healthy future.
 Science for soil and soil for science.
Dernie T. Olguera

Evaluation of Soil Development Indices

for Highly Weathered Soils in Samar
Island, Philippines
Olguera1, D.T. and V.B. Asio2
1Department 2Department Soil Science
of Agriculture
College of Agriculture and Related Sciences College of Agriculture and Food Science
University of Southeastern Philippines Visayas State University
Tagum-Mabini Campus Main Campus
Email: dtolguera@vsu.edu.ph Email: vbasio@yahoo.com.ph