II. DESERT SOILS
77
IX. Soils of Individual World Deserts
Soil science is still in its infancy relative to other associated sciences
of physics, chemistry, botany, and bacteriology. Only recently has a universal nomenclature been proposed (U.S. Soil Conservation Service,
1960). Although the Russians have pioneered soil classification for some
years and have contributed richly to the concepts embodied in the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Seventh Approximation Soil Classification System (U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1960), a great variety of terminology
is still used throughout the world that has similar meanings. There may
be a dozen different highly technical words that mean the same thing. This
has led to some confusion. With the recent improvement in communications among scientists of different nations as initiated through U.S. programs of NSF, AID, UNESCO, Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, U.S.
Army, O.N.R., (to mention only a few), differences are being ironed out.
Much of the information available for this section was obtained through
U.S. Government source materials.
The literature on soils of the deserts of the world is limited. Although
volumes have been written, many more volumes remain to be written.
Often soils information is confined to comments and notes of geologists
and geographers who traveled through the harsh desert zones on missions
not closely related to soil science. Results of these travels have frequently
overemphasized the vast wilderness, harsh climate and unusual desert surfaces. Technical information is lacking and interpretation of such observational information and broad reconnaissance surveys difficult. Biology of
desert soils is a science yet to be developed.
As a matter of convenience the world deserts to be further discussed
will be divided into the following similar groups as suggested by Meigs
(1953) and adopted by McGinnies and Meadows (1968) and Dregne
(1967) in their excellent inventories of arid lands with only slight modifications in terminology of central Asian Deserts : Kalahari-Namib, Sahara,
Somali-Chalbi, Arabian, Iranian, Thar, West Central Asia-Turkestan, Central Asia-Takla-Makan, East Central Asia-Gobi, Australian, Monte-Patagonia, Atacama-Peruvia, North American.
A. KALAHARI-NAMIB
The moisture in Kalahari-Namib Desert in Southern Africa is controlled
on its equatorial side by tropical summer rains and on its pole side by
winter cyclonic rainfall. Thus this desert is virtually a rainfall transition
zone (Reitan and Green, 1967). The designated Kalahari-Namib Desert
77
IX. Soils of Individual World Deserts
Soil science is still in its infancy relative to other associated sciences
of physics, chemistry, botany, and bacteriology. Only recently has a universal nomenclature been proposed (U.S. Soil Conservation Service,
1960). Although the Russians have pioneered soil classification for some
years and have contributed richly to the concepts embodied in the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Seventh Approximation Soil Classification System (U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1960), a great variety of terminology
is still used throughout the world that has similar meanings. There may
be a dozen different highly technical words that mean the same thing. This
has led to some confusion. With the recent improvement in communications among scientists of different nations as initiated through U.S. programs of NSF, AID, UNESCO, Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, U.S.
Army, O.N.R., (to mention only a few), differences are being ironed out.
Much of the information available for this section was obtained through
U.S. Government source materials.
The literature on soils of the deserts of the world is limited. Although
volumes have been written, many more volumes remain to be written.
Often soils information is confined to comments and notes of geologists
and geographers who traveled through the harsh desert zones on missions
not closely related to soil science. Results of these travels have frequently
overemphasized the vast wilderness, harsh climate and unusual desert surfaces. Technical information is lacking and interpretation of such observational information and broad reconnaissance surveys difficult. Biology of
desert soils is a science yet to be developed.
As a matter of convenience the world deserts to be further discussed
will be divided into the following similar groups as suggested by Meigs
(1953) and adopted by McGinnies and Meadows (1968) and Dregne
(1967) in their excellent inventories of arid lands with only slight modifications in terminology of central Asian Deserts : Kalahari-Namib, Sahara,
Somali-Chalbi, Arabian, Iranian, Thar, West Central Asia-Turkestan, Central Asia-Takla-Makan, East Central Asia-Gobi, Australian, Monte-Patagonia, Atacama-Peruvia, North American.
A. KALAHARI-NAMIB
The moisture in Kalahari-Namib Desert in Southern Africa is controlled
on its equatorial side by tropical summer rains and on its pole side by
winter cyclonic rainfall. Thus this desert is virtually a rainfall transition
zone (Reitan and Green, 1967). The designated Kalahari-Namib Desert