Abstract

The need for a better understanding of soil-landscape relationships is an important topic, quantitative analysis of the soil formation has been developed as a response to increasing environmental problems. Quantitative modelling is the only means to evaluate the long-term impact of human activities and climate change on soil and landscape. Most landscape evolution models only consider processes of erosion and deposition of regolith as a whole. However the direction and rate of geomorphic processes are strongly influenced by soil properties and vegetation. Thus a realistic landscape evolution model needs to incorporate the soil forming processes. We present a model simulating soil profile development. The model simulates the formation of soil as a result of bedrock weathering, and development horizons as a result of major soil forming processes, such as organic matter decomposition, organic enrichment, argilluviation and leaching of base cations.