Reference soil Canada 20: Gleysol

CA020

Gleysols occur throughout the world where groundwater comes near to the surface, causing soils to become wet for a prolonged part of the year. They are particularly abundant in the low-lying river basins.

Characteristics

Soils having gleyic properties (properties associated with prolonged wetness) within 50 cm from the soil surface. They have no diagnostic horizons other than an anthraquic, histic, mollic, ochric, takyric, or umbric horizon at the surface, or an andic, calcic, cambic, gypsic, plinthic, salic, sulfuric, or vitric horizon within 100 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Gleysols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CA020: Gleysols

LAND USE: delta has been dyked and reclaimed. Present crops include forages, vegetables and small fruits.

Classification

WRB 1998

Humi-Orthithionic- Gleysol (Alumic Epieutric)

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Humi-Thionic Gleysol

Humic Gleysol

Local classification:	Orthic Humic Gleysol

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Humaquept aquic coarse-silty mixed mesic

Profile description

Ap1 0-13 cm	(2.5Y 6.5/2, dry) (10YR 4.5/2, moist)silt loam,moderate fine and medium subangular blocky,hard very friable sticky plastic,few very fine inped vertical pores,many fine throughout roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Ap2 13-25 cm	light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2, dry) dark greyish brown (10YR 4/2, moist)silt loam,moderate medium subangular blocky,hard very friable sticky plastic,few very fine inped vertical pores,many fine throughout roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,abrupt smooth boundary to,
Bg 25-35 cm	(5Y 6.5/1, dry) greyish brown (2.5Y 5/2, moist)silt loam,moderate to strong medium subangular blocky parting to strong fine subangular blocky,very hard very friable sticky very plastic,many fine prominent mottles (7.5YR 5/6) and many medium prominent mottles (7.5YR 5/6),patchy thin clay on pedfaces cutans,many very fine exped and inped vertical pores,many fine and medium throughout roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,clear smooth boundary to,
Cg1 35-48 cm	(5Y 6.5/1, dry) olive grey (5Y 5/2, moist)silt loam,moderate to strong coarse angular blocky,very hard firm sticky very plastic,few medium distinct mottles (10YR 6/6),patchy thin clay cutans,many very fine inped vertical pores,common fine throughout roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,clear smooth boundary to,
Cg2 48-70 cm	(5Y 6.5/1, dry) olive grey (5Y 5/2, moist)silt loam,moderate coarse angular blocky,soft friable sticky plastic,common medium mottles (10YR 3/3) and common coarse mottles,patchy thin clay cutans,many very fine inped vertical pores,common fine throughout roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,clear wavy boundary to,
Cgj 70-100 cm	(5Y 6.5/1, dry) (5Y 4.5/1, moist)silt loam,massive to coarse angular blocky,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky plastic,common medium prominent mottles and common coarse prominent mottles (5Y 7/8),few very fine inped vertical pores,few very fine and fine throughout roots,frequent medium irregular soft jarosite soft segregations,non calcareous 10% HCl,clear irregular boundary to,
Cgjz 100-127 cm	(2.5Y 7/no, dry) dark greenish grey (5BG 4/1, moist)silt loam,massive,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky plastic,few medium prominent mottles (5Y 5/4),few very fine inped vertical pores,no roots,non calcareous 10% HCl,clear boundary to,
Cgz1 127-150 cm	(2.5Y 6/no, dry) dark grey (5Y 4/1, moist)silt loam,massive,slightly hard non sticky slightly plastic,non calcareous 10% HCl,diffuse boundary to,
Cgz2 150-170 cm	(2.5Y 6/no, dry) (2.5Y 3/no, moist)silt loam,massive,slightly hard slightly sticky slightly plastic,(5GY 4/1),non calcareous 10% HCl,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	mixed lithology and composition
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	marine sediments
Remarks on Parent Materials	medium and moderately fine marine and fresh water sediments (deltaic)
Soil Depth	170cm
Texture of parent material (second entry)	loamy
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	slightly

Major crops	fodder crops
Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	draining
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	mixed farming
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: originally willows, sedges, rushes, coarse grasses and herbs
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	herbs

Altitude	3m
Physiographic Unit	plain
Physiographic position of the site	flat
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	delta
Slope	0%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	poor
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
(Estimated) maximum (lower) depth to groundwater table	127cm
Depth to groundwater table	127cm
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	groundwater table observed
(Estimated) minimum (upper) depth to groundwater table	25cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	slow
Estimated run off (class)	very slow

Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none

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Reference soil Canada 20: Gleysol

Characteristics

Reference soil CA020: Gleysols

Classification