Reference soil Australia 18: Lixisol

AU018

Lixisols occur dominantly in the drier parts of the tropics and subtropics. Their high base status is partly due to less leaching, partly to admixture from airborne dust from adjacent desert regions.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation exchange capacity of less than 24 cmolc per kg in some part, either starting within either: 100 cm from the soil surface, or 200 cm from the soil surface if the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand or coarser textures throughout. They have a base saturation (total amount of Ca, Mg, K and Na with respect to the cation exchange capacity) of 50 percent or more in the major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Lixisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil AU018: Lixisols

Classification

WRB 1998

Chromic- Lixisol

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Haplic Lixisol

Ferric Luvisol

Local classification:	HAS: Red Earth; FK: Gn2.14

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Hapludalf udic fine-loamy mixed thermic

Profile description

Ah 0-15 cm	dark reddish grey (5YR 4/2, dry) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2, moist)sandy loam slightly gravelly,weak fine and medium angular blocky and strong crumb,slightly hard very friable non sticky slightly plastic,few fine distinct clear mottles (5YR 5/4),many very fine fine pores and few pores,common fine few medium roots,very few fine and medium gravel quartz very few fine and medium gravel sandstone fragments,non calcareous 10% HCl,diffuse smooth boundary to,
15-30 cm	red (2.5YR 4/6, dry) dark red (2.5YR 3/6, moist)sandy clay loam slightly gravelly,massive,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky,common fine distinct clear mottles (5YR 4/2) and common medium distinct mottles (5YR 4/2),many very fine fine pores and few pores,common fine roots,very few fine and medium gravel quartz very few fine and medium gravel sandstone fragments,non calcareous 10% HCl,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bt1 30-70 cm	(2.5YR 4.5/6, dry) (2.5YR 3.5/6, moist)sandy clay loam slightly gravelly,massive,hard friable sticky,many very fine fine pores,few fine roots,very few fine and medium gravel quartz very few medium and coarse gravel sandstone fragments,non calcareous 10% HCl,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bt2 70-94 cm	red (2.5YR 5/6, dry) red (2.5YR 4/6, moist)sandy clay loam slightly gravelly,massive,hard friable sticky,few fine prominent sharp mottles (10YR 6/6) and few medium prominent mottles (10YR 6/6),many very fine fine pores,few fine roots,very few fine and medium gravel quartz frequent medium and coarse gravel sandstone fragments,non calcareous 10% HCl,

Depth1	174cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sandstone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Soil Depth	94cm
Texture of parent material (second entry)	loamy
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

Major crops	vegetables
Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	land clearing
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LAND USE: horticulture with pineapples, citrus and vegetables.
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	extremely xeromorphic forest

Altitude	37m
Physiographic Unit	ridge crest
Physiographic position of the site	crest
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	low hill
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-100cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none

You are here

Reference soil Australia 18: Lixisol

Characteristics

Reference soil AU018: Lixisols

Classification