SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF THE SPHEROIDAL MICROSTRUCTURE IN VERTISOLS FROM TURKEY AND ISRAEL

Vertisols formed on different parent materials from Turkey (Aslanpimar i and Begdes soil series) and Israel (Akko soil series) were studied f or their microstructure. The Aslanpinari and Begdes soils showed simil ar spheroidal microstructural development in the ABss horizons, wherea s the spheres of Akko differed by being smaller and lacking granostria tion. Micromorphometric analyses of the three soils revealed similar p ore characteristics within and between the aggregates of the ABss hori zons. Presence of the spheroidal microstructural units and increase of palygorskite and vermiculite in the ABss horizon of the Begdes soil, which is in contrast with increasing smectite in the Aslanpinari and A kko soils, links with an increase in the structural stability index an d an increase in the hydraulic conductivity.