COMPARISON OF SOME PODZOLS AND SPODOSOLS IN THE FRASER LOWLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ADJACENT WASHINGTON STATE
Soils derived from Pleistocene deposits with an aeolian mantle in the Fraser Lowland of British Columbia and adjacent Washington State are analyzed and compared for classification as Podzols and Spodosols. Data from Canadian and American sources are examined for six groups of soils that correlate across the international boundary. Soils classified as Spodosols meet the criteria for Podzols, but the converse is not true, mainly because the pyrophosphate-extractable Fe + Al is less than half of the dithionite-citrate-extractable Fe + Al. The Canadian classification is Humo-Ferric Podzols. The presence of amorphous material in this area is recognized and expressed in U.S. soil taxonomy as Andic intergrades of Xerochrepts. Evidence of amorphous material in the aeolian mantle of these soils is a smeary feel when rubbed wet, and the following other characteristics (with the common ranges in the upper 60 cm): low bulk density (850–1150 kg/m3), high 1.5-MPa water-to-clay ratio (0.95–3.33), high cation exchange capacity (130–400 meq/100 g clay), high pH in sodium fluoride (10.0–11.1), and low percent base saturation (9–46%). The soils have 1–21% glass or glassy aggregates in the upper 60 cm and a trace to 6% below 60 cm. Key words: Podzolization, NaF pH, bulk density, Andic Xerochrepts, Pleistocene deposits, Whatcom County.