Karak Resources Project

Soil Associations of the Karak Plateau

The satellite image provides an overall view of the Karak Plateau and delineation of the major soil associations mapped in the region. Soil associations include soils that are similar from the standpoint of geology, general soil characteristics (e.g. thickness, texture), landscapes, and potential use. These are broad separations, however, and wide differences may still be present in each separation. More detailed soil maps are prepared at a scale of 1:10,000 to 1:24,000 that provide very detailed separations and are useful for preparing land use maps for agriculture or urban development (USDA, 1993). The units delineated on the map are described in the table below (Table 1).

As noted by the soil distribution, the major factors in the potential use of soil units on the plateau are the topography, soil depth, and rainfall distribution. Unit 1, Wadi al-Mujib and Wadi al-Hasa, has an extremely rugged terrain and thus has very limited agriculture; the only areas of agriculture are on more level terraces and colluvial slopes. Unit 4, however, has a favorable topography, deep loess soils, and has more favorable precipitation than units to the east. This unit has high potential for producing good yields of wheat and barley when adequate moisture is available. Except for limited irrigated areas, the entire agriculture is dependent on adequate and timely precipitation.