1st International Conference of Soil and Agriculture:
TOWARDS SOIL SUSTAINABILITY
11–13 June 2024 • Lublin–Nałęczów, Poland

https://doi.org/10.24326/ICSA1.3.03
Published online: 4 October 2024

Pedodiversity of moraine plateaus in Northern Poland: application of low-altitude photogrammetry in soil science
Kinga Milewska¹*, Marcin Świtoniak², Marcin Nowak³

¹ Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Nicolaus Copernicus, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
² Department of Soil Science and Landscape Management, University of Nicolaus Copernicus, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
³ Department of Hydrology and Water Management, University of Nicolaus Copernicus, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
* Corresponding author:

Abstract
One of the basic indicators of surface horizon properties is the colour. Anthropogenic denudation in moraine plateaus of Northern Poland leads to strong transformation of the soil cover of agricultural areas, which affects strong differences in the colour of ploughing horizons. This variability is likely visible in low-altitude photogrammetry data, allowing for detailed mapping and analysis of soil conditions. The development of remote sensing technologies started a new stage of research on the diversity of soil cover on a local scale. The continued evolution of precision agriculture, driven by innovations like drone technology, holds great promise for optimizing resource use, increasing crop yields, and promoting environmental sustainability in the agricultural sector. Low-altitude photogrammetry carried out with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) along with classic laboratory analyses allows to determine correlation between colour of ploughing horizons and properties of soils in hummocky and undulating moraine plateaus. The study aims to compare three research fields in the Polish Lowland cultivated under the classic ploughing method. All areas are located in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, each covers approximately 30 hectares. The areas represent three different types of moraine plateaus with varying water regime: (i) hummocky plateau with good drainage within hills and poor drainage in depressions and with strongly transformed soil cover by erosion, (ii) undulating plateau with poor drainage (prevalence of semihydrogenic soils – black earths) and (iii) undulating plateau with good drainage (predominance of autogenic clay-illuvial soils). Photogrammetric surveys of three selected research areas were carried out, orthophotomosaics and digital elevation models (DEM) were prepared using Agisoft Photoscan software. In total, approximately 20 soil profiles and over 300 soil samples from the surface horizons were analysed, providing a substantial dataset for the study. Field research in three selected areas and the results of laboratory analyses indicate variability of the physico-chemical characteristics of soils in each area. High rate of anthropogenically denudated soils (truncated and accumulated by slope processes) results in a mosaic of soil types. Noticeable erosion caused by agrotechnical operations, even in the case of slightly inclined slopes, affects the variability of soils in potentially homogeneous terrain and highlights the sensitivity of soils to management practices.

Keywords: precision agriculture, topsoil properties, photogrammetry, soil erosion, soil colour 

How to cite
Milewska K., Świtoniak M., Nowak M., 2024. Pedodiversity of moraine plateaus in Northern Poland: application of low-altitude photogrammetry in soil science. 1st International Conference of Soil and Agriculture: Towards Soil Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICSA1.3.03