Reference soil Brazil 24: Ferralsol

BR024

Ferralsols occur in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, mainly on old and stable land surfaces.

Characteristics

Soils having a ferralic horizon (strongly weathered horizon with low-activity clays and very low amounts of weatherable minerals) between 25 and 200 cm from the soil surface. They lack a nitic horizon (a horizon with strongly developed, nut-shaped structure) and do not have a layer which fulfils the requirements of an argic horizon and which has, in the upper 30 cm, 10 percent or more water-dispersible clay.

Distribution of Ferralsols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil BR024: Ferralsols

Very deep, well drained loamy sand. The whole profile contains dark coloured fill-ins, probably old termite/ant cavities filled with darker coloured A or AB material. Frequently ant"craters" present at the soil surface. Geomorphology: moderately dissected planation surface. Precipitation of site is probably somewhat lower than Uberaba (yearsum Monte Alegre de Minas=1351mm) At nearby ranch improved pasture and contourline terraces as erosion control measures. From 0-200cm soil pit observations, deeper than 200 cm auger observations. Slides no 9863-9877. *) Brazilian classification: Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo alico textura media.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Geric- Ferralsol (Dystric Arenic Xanthic)

Geri-Arenic- Ferralsol (Xanthic)

40-500 cm	ferralic horizon
-	geric

0-40 cm	ochric horizon
40-500 cm	ferralic horizon
-	geric

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Xanthi-Ferralic Arenosol

Acric Ferralsol cerrado

0-40 cm	ochric A horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon
-	geric

0-40 cm	ochric A horizon
40-500 cm	oxic B horizon

Local classification:	Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo álico textura media

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Haplustox ustic loamy isohyperthermic

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Physical characteristics

Particle size distribution

Depth (cm)	Gravel % v/v	very coarse sand % w/w	coarse sand % w/w	medium sand % w/w	fine sand % w/w	very fine sand % w/w	Total sand % w/w	coarse silt % w/w	fine silt % w/w	Total silt % w/w	Clay % w/w
0-15	-	0.4	3.2	16.4	47.2	16.3	83.5	5.1	1.3	6.4	10.1
15-40	-	0.3	3.4	17.0	46.5	14.8	82.0	5.9	0.8	6.7	11.4
40-80	-	0.4	3.2	14.9	45.3	17.2	81.0	5.8	0.8	6.6	12.5
80-120	-	0.6	3.3	14.7	42.0	16.6	77.2	7.8	1.2	9.0	13.8
120-200	-	0.7	3.1	13.5	40.0	17.8	75.1	8.8	1.5	10.3	14.6
200-300	-	0.8	2.6	13.2	40.0	18.7	75.3	8.5	2.9	11.4	13.3
300-400	-	1.2	2.9	12.3	39.1	18.8	74.3	7.9	2.7	10.6	15.1
400-440	-	2.1	3.7	11.6	36.5	18.6	72.5	7.1	4.8	11.9	15.5
440-500	23	2.7	3.8	11.5	31.1	16.4	65.5	8.7	9.0	17.7	16.8

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-15	-	-	-	3.3	10.1
10-15	1.481	-	-	-	-
65-70	1.410	-	-	-	-
15-40	-	-	-	2.4	11.4
40-80	-	16	-	2.4	12.5
80-120	-	19	-	2.4	13.8
120-200	-	17	-	1.0	14.6
200-300	-	-	-	4.6	13.3
300-400	-	-	-	4.3	15.1
400-440	-	-	-	0.4	15.5
440-500	-	-	-	0.0	16.8

Other physical data

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	pF 0 % v/v	pF 1.0 % v/v	pF 1.5 % v/v	pF 2.0 % v/v	pF 2.3 % v/v	pF 2.7 % v/v	pF 3.4 % v/v	pF 4.2 % v/v
10-15	1.481	42.1	40.6	32.9	15.5	12.3	11.1	7.6	7.4
65-70	1.410	43.0	41.6	36.1	17.1	12.9	11.2	7.2	7.1

Chemical data

Depth (cm)	pH H2O	pHKCl	EC 1: 2.5 dS/m	CaCO3 % w/w	C % w/w	N %	C / N	Exch. Acid cmol(c)/kg	Exch. Al cmol(c)/kg	Ca cmol(c)/kg	Mg cmol(c)/kg	K cmol(c)/kg	Na cmol(c)/kg	Sum Cations cmol(c)/kg
0-15	4.8	4.3	0.05	-	0.66	0.05	13	0.6	0.4	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.5
15-40	4.9	4.4	0.03	-	0.45	0.04	11	0.4	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
40-80	5.2	4.5	0.03	-	0.35	-	-	0.3	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1
80-120	5.1	4.6	0.02	-	0.29	-	-	0.2	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
120-200	5.2	5.4	0.01	-	0.20	-	-	-	-	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1
200-300	5.1	6.0	0.02	-	0.12	-	-	-	-	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.2
300-400	5.7	6.1	0.01	-	0.08	-	-	-	-	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.2
400-440	5.9	5.8	0.03	-	0.08	-	-	-	-	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.2
440-500	5.5	4.5	0.01	-	0.02	-	-	0.3	0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.2

Depth (cm)	Base sat. %	CEC soil cmol(c)/kg	CEC clay cmol(c)/kg	CEC org cmol(c)/kg	ECEC cmol(c)/kg	Al sat. %	ESP %
0-15	31	1.6	16	2.3	-	25	6
15-40	0	0.9	8	1.6	-	22	0
40-80	14	0.7	6	1.2	-	0	14
80-120	0	0.9	7	1.0	-	0	0
120-200	33	0.3	2.0	0.7	-	-	33
200-300	100	0.2	2.0	0.4	-	-	100
300-400	100	0.2	1.0	0.3	-	-	100
400-440	100	0.2	1.0	0.3	-	-	50
440-500	67	0.3	2.0	0.1	-	0	33

Depth (cm)	pH NaF	P Retention %	ODOE	Al o % w/w	Si o % w/w	Fe d % w/w	Al d % w/w	Fe p % w/w	Al p % w/w	C p % w/w	Fe o % w/w
0-15	-	-	-	0.10	0.00	1.10	0.30	-	-	-	0.10
15-40	-	-	-	0.10	0.00	1.20	0.30	-	-	-	0.10
40-80	-	-	-	0.10	0.00	1.20	0.30	-	-	-	0.00
80-120	-	-	-	0.10	0.00	1.40	0.30	-	-	-	0.00
120-200	-	-	-	0.10	0.00	1.40	0.30	-	-	-	0.00
200-300	-	-	-	0.10	0.00	1.40	0.20	-	-	-	0.00
300-400	-	-	-	0.10	0.00	1.60	0.20	-	-	-	0.00
400-440	-	-	-	0.00	0.00	1.90	0.20	-	-	-	0.10
440-500	-	-	-	0.00	0.00	2.20	0.10	-	-	-	0.00

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-15	weak	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-
15-40	weak	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-
40-80	weak	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-
80-120	weak	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-
120-200	very weak	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-
200-300	weak	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-
300-400	weak	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-
400-440	weak	weak	weak	weak	-	-	strong	very weak	-	-	-	-
440-500	very weak	weak	very weak	weak	-	-	strong	weak	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ap 0-15 cm	(7.5YR 3/3, moist)loamy sand,weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine and fine crumb,friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine pores and common pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
15-40 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/4, moist)loamy sand,weakly coherent porous massive,very friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine pores and common pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
BA 40-80 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, moist)loamy sand,weakly coherent porous massive,very friable non sticky non plastic,common very fine pores and few pores,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bw1 80-120 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 4/6, moist)sandy loam,weakly coherent porous massive,very friable non sticky non plastic,common very fine pores and few pores,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bw2 120-300 cm	yellowish red (5YR 4/6, moist)sandy loam,weakly coherent porous massive,very friable non sticky non plastic,common very fine pores and few pores,
Auger 400-500 cm	dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4, moist)yellowish red (5YR 4/6, moist),sandy clay,sandy clay loam,slightly sticky slightly plastic,slightly sticky slightly plastic,common medium distinct mottles,many coarse prominent mottles,few fine gravel quartz few fragments,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	highly weathered material
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	colluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	Bauru arenite
Soil Depth	200cm
Texture of parent material	loamy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet

Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	land clearing
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	semi-natural grassland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Original vegetation cerrado LANDUSE: At nearby ranch improved pasture and contour terraces as erosion control measures

Altitude	800m
Physiographic Unit	moderately dissected planation surface
Physiographic position of the site	upper slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plain
Slope	3%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	convex
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-500cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high
Estimated run off (class)	rapid
Drainage class - intergrade; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	somewhat excessive

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
Microrelief Height: variation in height	5
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	animal tracks
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

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Reference soil Brazil 24: Ferralsol

Characteristics

Reference soil BR024: Ferralsols

Classification