SOME FACTORS AFFECTING REGIONAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE SOILS IN THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN (WEST-AFRICA)

Spatial distribution of the parent materials, color, clay-eluviated ho rizon thickness, textural profile type, presence and position of the f erruginous nodules and ferricretes in the profile are analyzed at a sm all scale using the thematic information content of the published 1:20 0,000 soil map of Benin. Analyses indicate that there is a regional di fferentiation of the soil cover which is first drawn on that of the ge ological provinces, sedimentary basins, great morpho-structural units, and then determined by the factors that control the preservation or t he transformation and erosion of an ancient lateritic mantle. These fa ctors are directly influenced by differential changes of the local bas e levels. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.