8. Studies and research

Chavarriaga (2014) studied and investigated the physical and chemical characterization of soil profiles. Reference: evaluation of causal factors, effects and feasible management alternatives, the problem of erosion and mass removal of soils in the Maltería—Las Margaritas road transect, right slope of the Chinchiná River, via Magdalena "Department of Caldas-Colombia."

The investigation was carried out to identify and diagnose the problem of soil erosion processes in the area of influence of the Maltería-Las Margaritas road transect via Magdalena, right slope of the Chinchiná River, to technically evaluate the factors involved and the causal relationships intervening effect on the problem of erosion and mass removal of soils, weighing risks and impacts, investigated about the factors related to the technical nature of the problem of deterioration of the soil resource, and its alternatives for improvement or mitigation, of the general impacts and develop the physical-chemical knowledge of the problem of environmental deterioration of soils in the area of influence of the Maltería-Las Margaritas road transect via Magdalena, Municipality of Manizales; Secularly converted into a factor of great environmental and socioeconomic impacts, aggravated in the winter periods of the area, which lead to problems of large soil losses, landslides, road restrictions, and all kinds of risks, which compromise important resources of the region, as losses of landscape, biodiversity and human lives.

stipulated by the international guides of description of soil profiles. The altitudinal information

No. Coverage Altitude range

 Weedy grass High: >2800 m above sea level Secondary vegetation High: >2800 m above sea level Secondary vegetation Medium: 2600–2800 m above sea level Secondary vegetation Low: 2400–2600 m above sea level Mosaic of pastures with natural spaces High: >2800 m above sea level Mosaic of pastures with natural spaces Medium: 2600–2800 m above sea level Mosaic of pastures with natural spaces Under: 2400–2600 m above sea level Dense forest of high ground High: >2800 m above sea level High, dense forest of firm ground Medium: 2600–2800 m above sea level Dense forest of the mainland Low: 2400–2600 m above sea level Clean grass Height: >2800 m above sea level Clean grass Medium: 2600–2800 m above sea level Clean grass Low: 2400–2600 m above sea level

The Humidity of the Volcanic Soils and Their Impact on the Processes of Mass Removal in Colombia

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80399

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The mosaic illustrates the different systems of coverage and their altitudinal position and allows to observe the little spatial variability of the soils, preserving similarities in their morphology and their genesis or their own genetic homogeneity or inheritance provided by the ancient deposits of pyroclastic volcanic materials. The ancient and recent volcanic events in a certain way have shaped the landscapes themselves where the profiles of exposed and supralying soils are located and studied to the lithological formations or litho-units dominated by igneous rock materials predominantly but with the participation of shales and other metamorphic materials. In general, this is the panorama of strata or horizons evidencing eminently volcanic features whenever an attempt has been made to discover the soil to such depths edaphologically speaking and that have enabled world literature to highlight the particulari-

On the other hand, the exposed mosaic allows a visual approach to obtain knowledge of reality in terms of the fragility of these edaphic ecosystems and therefore their immense susceptibility to erosion or mass removal and accompanying their physical attributes estimate in this study how are sandy and frank sandy textures, friable or loose consistencies, slightly plastic and slightly sticky, loose structures or those without structure in lower horizons markedly pyroclastic, not plastic and not sticky and without structure or loose

In this regard, the Geographical Institute Agustín Codazzi (IGAC) [12], in studies close to this research area concluded that the alternation of materials: ash-lapilli-pumice sands that have originated different horizons, A and C layers, show that a polycyclic development of these

was suggested by researchers to facilitate its analysis.

Table 1. List of systems under evaluation (coverage and altitude range).

consistency.

ties of our soils known as volcanic or volcanic ash (volcanic ash soils).
