Micromorphological Study of Soil Crusts

Abstract

Abstract Soil crusts were studied by preparing and examining thin sections taken normal to the soil surface. Several photomicrographs of the thin sections are presented which illustrate differences encountered among different soils and among different management practices of the same soil. Some crusts exhibited orientation of particles within the crust while others showed some orientation of the bulk soil mass in certain parts of the crust. A pronounced gradation of texture was evident in certain crusts. This work illustrates the visual evidence obtainable from the use of thin sections in soil crust studies.