Reference soil China 06: Luvisol

CN006

Luvisols occur mainly in temperate regions, particularly in areas with a Mediterranean-type of climate.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon) with a cation exchange capacity equal to or more than 24 cmolc per kg clay throughout.

Distribution of Luvisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CN006: Luvisols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION : Very deep, moderately well drained, reddish brown to yellowish red clay derived from limestone. The (dark) reddish brown topsoil has moderately developed crumb and subangular blocky structures and a medium to high content in organic carbon. The subsoil has dominantly moderately developed prismatic structures, becoming angular blocky (locally wedgeshaped) in the bottom part of the profile. Soil reaction is neutral throughout while the exchange complex is being dominated by calcium. PARENT ROCK: limestone consists dominantly of fine-grained calcite, traversed by veins of coarse-grained, well developed calcite cristals / CRACKINGS: depth down to 30 cm, spacing about 10 cm / HYDROLOGY: moderatly fine dendritic drainage, sometimes underground; infiltration is estimated at 1-10 cm/day / CUTANS: grey (N 3/0) manganese-iron coatings (cutans) occur in the Bt3 and BC horizon; few slickensides occur in the BC horizon / pH: according to local soil scientists pH varies from 6.8 in topsoil to 6.5 in subsoil / SOIL FAUNA: some ants and worms.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Vertic-Cutanic- Luvisol (Hypereutric Clayic Chromic)

Chromi-Profondic- Luvisol (Cutanic Haplic)

20-94 cm	argic horizon
-	vertic

0-20 cm	ochric horizon
20-94 cm	argic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Chromi-Vertic Luvisol rudic

Eutric Nitosol stony

0-20 cm	ochric A horizon
20-94 cm	argic B horizon
- cm	argic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon
-	vertic

0-20 cm	ochric A horizon
20-94 cm	argillic B horizon

Local classification:	Haplic brown limestone soil; Ferri-Udic Argosol
Common name:	Red cracking clay

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Vertic Paleudalf
USDA-SCS (1975)	Vertic Paleudalf udic very fine mixed thermic

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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
0-7	-	0.5	0.9	1.0	1.7	1.2	5.3	4.5	21.7	26.2	68.5
7-20	-	0.7	0.7	0.8	1.3	1.0	4.5	4.6	19.1	23.7	71.9
20-44	-	0.3	0.5	0.5	0.8	0.6	2.7	1.1	15.8	16.9	80.4
44-64	-	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.7	0.4	2	1.6	11.3	12.9	85.0
64-94	-	0.2	0.3	0.5	0.6	0.6	2.2	1.6	10.9	12.5	85.3
94-120	-	0.2	0.4	0.5	0.9	0.6	2.6	1.8	10.9	12.7	84.7

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-7	-	-	-	-	68.5
7-20	-	-	-	-	71.9
20-44	-	-	-	-	80.4
44-64	-	-	-	-	85.0
64-94	-	-	-	-	85.3
94-120	-	-	-	-	84.7

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
0-7	7.1	6.2	0.23	1.5	2.93	0.25	12	-	-	41.9	2.0	0.4	0.2	44.5
7-20	6.7	5.5	0.07	0.5	1.85	0.19	10	-	-	19.0	0.3	0.2	0.2	19.7
20-44	6.6	5.3	0.05	0.7	1.08	0.17	6	-	-	18.6	0.2	0.3	0.2	19.3
44-64	7.0	5.8	0.05	1.0	0.79	0.16	5	-	-	20.7	0.1	0.3	0.2	21.3
64-94	7.2	5.9	0.06	1.3	0.62	0.12	5	-	-	22.2	0.1	0.3	0.2	22.8
94-120	7.0	5.9	0.05	1.0	0.46	0.08	6	-	-	22.2	0.1	0.3	0.2	22.8

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 %
0-7	175	25.5	37	10.3	-	-	1
7-20	98	20.1	28	6.5	-	-	1
20-44	103	18.8	23	3.8	-	-	1
44-64	104	20.5	24	2.8	-	-	1
64-94	113	20.1	24	2.2	-	-	1
94-120	111	20.5	24	1.6	-	-	1

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
0-7	-	-	-	0.32	0.04	4.45	0.87	0.14	0.07	-	0.43
7-20	-	-	-	0.30	0.03	4.83	1.03	0.28	0.11	-	0.32
20-44	-	-	-	0.19	0.02	4.79	1.23	0.35	0.14	-	0.22
44-64	-	-	-	0.25	0.03	4.99	1.10	0.23	0.10	-	0.14
64-94	-	-	-	0.17	0.04	5.04	1.13	0.15	0.07	-	0.14
94-120	-	-	-	0.12	0.04	5.13	1.07	0.18	0.10	-	0.11

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-7	-	weak	-	medium to strong	-	-	strong	very weak	strong	-	-	-
7-20	-	weak	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	weak	strong	-	-	-
20-44	-	weak	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	weak	strong	-	-	-
44-64	-	weak	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	weak	strong	-	-	-
64-94	-	weak	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	weak	strong	-	-	-
94-120	-	weak	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	weak	strong	-	-	-

Rare clay minerals

Depth (cm)	Boehmite	Cristobalite	Jarosite	Nordstrandite	Palygorskite	Septechlorite
0-7	weak	-	-	-	-	-
7-20	weak	-	-	-	-	-
20-44	weak	-	-	-	-	-
44-64	weak	-	-	-	-	-
64-94	weak	-	-	-	-	-
94-120	weak	-	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah 0-7 cm	dark brown (10YR 3/3, dry) dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)clay,moderate medium crumb,hard,common fine continuous inped tubular pores and common very fine continuous inped tubular pores,very few coarse gravel weathered limestone fragments,clear smooth boundary to,
7-20 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, moist)clay,moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky,friable,patchy moderately thick clay and humus cutans,common fine continuous inped tubular pores and common very fine continuous inped tubular pores,very few coarse gravel weathered limestone fragments,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bt1 20-44 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, moist)clay,moderate medium prismatic,firm,patchy moderately thick clay and sesquioxide cutans,common fine continuous inped tubular pores and common very fine continuous inped tubular pores,very few small spherical hard manganiferous concretions,very few coarse gravel weathered limestone fragments,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bt2 44-64 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, moist)clay,moderate coarse prismatic,firm,few fine distinct clear mottles (10YR 4/4),continuous thick clay and sesquioxide cutans,few very fine continuous inped tubular pores,very few small spherical hard manganiferous concretions,very few coarse gravel weathered limestone fragments,gradual wavy boundary to,
Bt3 64-94 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, moist)clay,moderate coarse prismatic,friable,common fine distinct sharp mottles,continuous thick clay and sesquioxide cutans,few very fine continuous inped tubular pores,few small spherical hard manganiferous concretions,very few coarse gravel weathered limestone fragments,clear wavy boundary to,
94-120 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, moist)clay,moderate medium angular blocky,friable,common medium prominent sharp mottles,patchy moderately thick clay and sesquioxide cutans,common fine continuous inped tubular pores and common very fine continuous inped tubular pores,few medium spherical hard manganiferous concretions,very few coarse gravel weathered limestone fragments,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	limestone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	Ordovician limestone consisting dominantly of fine-grained calcite, traversed by veins of coarse-grained, well developed calcite crystals
Soil Depth	180cm
Texture of parent material	clayey

Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no land improvement
Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no irrigation
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	(semi-)natural vegetation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Dominantly cocongrass; also shrubs
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop rotation scheme not relevant
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	grassland

Altitude	150m
Physiographic Unit	plain with very steep hills
Physiographic position of the site	lower slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plain
Slope	7%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	moderately well
Dry From - To	0-10cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	10-120cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	medium

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Surface cracking	small cracks (width less than 1 cm, or depth less than 50 cm)
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)	rocky
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	very stony

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Reference soil China 06: Luvisol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN006: Luvisols

Classification