Reference soil Canada 14: Podzol

CA014

Podzols mainly occur in cool temperate and moist regions on coarse textured materials. Areas of Podzols have also been recorded from wet, tropical regions, notably the Amazon basin, southern central Africa and southeast Asia.

Characteristics

Soils having a spodic horizon (a dark coloured subsurface horizon with illuvial amorphous alumino-organic substances) within 200 cm from the soil surface, underlying an albic, histic, umbric or ochric horizon, or an anthropedogenic horizon less than 50 cm thick. Podzols are probably the most extensively researched group of soils.

Distribution of Podzols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CA014: Podzols

Classification

WRB 1998

Densi-Gleyic- Podzol (Saprihistic Placic)

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Histi-Gleyic Podzol placic

Gleyic Podzol

Local classification:	Ortstein Humic Podzol

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Haplaquod aquic sandy mixed frigid

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
45-51	-	0.5	4.8	17.7	27.9	20.4	71.3	8.4	8.2	16.6	15.1
51-71	-	0.5	2.7	8.4	20.3	22.9	54.8	14.8	10.3	25.1	20.1
71-86	-	0.2	2.2	8.8	27.6	28.3	67.1	10.6	7	17.6	15.3
89-100	-	0.9	3.8	13.8	37.6	27.4	83.5	8.8	5	13.8	2.7

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
45-51	-	-	-	-	15.1
51-71	-	-	-	-	20.1
71-86	-	-	-	-	15.3
89-100	-	-	-	-	2.7

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
45-51	4.2	3.3	0.04	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
51-71	4.2	3.5	0.04	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
71-86	4.6	3.9	0.03	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
89-100	4.9	3.9	0.02	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

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 %
0-20	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
20-25	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
25-45	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
45-51	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
51-71	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
71-86	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
89-100	-	-	-	-	-	-	0

Profile description

H 0-25 cm	sphagnum moderatelyand,abrupt smooth boundary to,
Eg 25-45 cm	white (5YR 8/1, moist)Description sand,weak coarse platy,very friable,many fine distinct diffuse mottles (5YR 4/1),and,few very fine roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,abrupt wavy boundary to,
Bhg1 45-51 cm	(5YR 2/1, moist)loamy sand,moderate medium platy parting to medium subangular blocky,friable,and,few very fine roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,abrupt wavy boundary to,
Bhg2 51-71 cm	(5YR 2/1, moist)loamy sand,massive,very hard very firm,many coarse distinct clear mottles (7.5YR 3/2),and,no roots,continuous massive strongly cemented ortstein pans,non calcareous 10% HCl,abrupt wavy boundary to,
BCg 71-86 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, moist)massive to weak very fine and fine platy,firm,many coarse distinct clear mottles (10YR 3/2),and,no roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,abrupt wavy boundary to,
Bsmg 86-89 cm	(2.5YR 2/1, moist)strong fine platy,extremely hard very firm,common fine prominent diffuse mottles (5YR 5/6),and,no roots,continuous platy indurated iron pan pans,non calcareous 10% HCl,abrupt wavy boundary to,
C 89-100 cm	(5YR 5/5, moist)Description sand,platy parting to single grain,loose very friable,and,no roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	mixed lithology and composition
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	fluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	stratified sandy deltaic deposits
Soil Depth	64cm
Texture of parent material (second entry)	sandy
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	slightly

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	natural forest and woodland
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Picea mariana, Acer rubrum, Salix spp, Ledum groenlandicum, Kalmia angustifolia, grass, Sphagnum spp.
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	deciduous forest

Physiographic Unit	slope
Physiographic position of the site	slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	coastal plain
Slope	1%
Slope Aspect	south-west
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	slightly 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	slightly saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none

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Reference soil Canada 14: Podzol

Characteristics

Reference soil CA014: Podzols

Classification