Vertic soils in alluvion-reclaimed areas, Volturno River Plain, Italy

Reclamation activities in alluvial depressions in Volturno River Plain resulted in the occurrence of soils with vertic characteristics and properties. We studied the genesis and properties of soils in alluvial areas known to be reclaimed by the alluvion system about 100 yr ago, and compared these soils with natural, adjacent alluvial soils. Soils in the reclaimed areas were characterized by cracks, slickensides, and high clay contents. Soils were satisfactorily classified within the existing Vertisol order of U. S. soil taxonomy. Soils with similar vertic morphology and properties also occurred in nonreclaimed adjacent alluvial areas, where they were associated with coarser textured Entisols. Since no important morphological evidence for the reclamation activity was identified in the soils in the reclaimed areas, the anthropogenic origin of such soils only emerged from historical records. The introduction of relational properties such as historical records is currently suggested to interpret and classify soils of various proposed taxonomic classes at different categorical levels. Therefore we discuss some critical aspects of the use of the historical records for classifying the soils in the reclaimed areas into genetic and technical soil categories that are currently being defined by the International Committee on Anthropogenic Soils (ICOMANTH).