Iron Behaviour and Soil Properties in Hydromorphic Soils of Beni Moussa, Tadla Plain, Morocco

This study aims to determine the behaviour of iron and its relation to the physicochemical properties in the hydromorphic soils of the Tadla plain (Morocco). An extensive analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) from a statistical perspective was employed to ensure a comprehensive examination. The results reveal that the organic matter (OM) shows very high values, likely due to the collected samples near the sewerage network. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements indicate that all the samples have positive and low values, indicating an abundance of paramagnetic minerals (such as ilmenite, siderite, and clay minerals). The iron concentration [ppm] increases from the top to the bottom of the Rivers, suggesting migration in a reduced form. Pearson’s correlation coefficients indicate that OM is positively correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC) (r = 0.83) and electrical conductivity (EC) (r = 0.85) but negatively correlated with MS (r = –0.57) and iron oxide (r = 0.42). Calcium carbonate content (CaCO₃) is positively correlated with sand (r = 0.49), but negatively with MS (r = –0.7). Iron (Fe) is positively correlated with frequency-dependent (FD) (r = 0.7), but negatively with sand (r = –0.608). Clay is strongly negatively correlated with silt (r = –0.88) and oxalate extractable iron oxides (Feo) (r = –0.55), respectively. These findings suggest that the physicochemical features of Beni Moussa hydromorphic soils are strongly linked and that iron in the soil is required for the stability of specific soil components.