Reference soil China 08: Ferralsol

CN008

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 CN008: Ferralsols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION : Moderately deep, well drained, strong brown slightly gravelly sandy clay loam derived from sandstone. The dark brown, moderately thick topsoil is lacking structure and has a medium content in organic carbon. The subsoil has weakly to moderately developed structures. A stone-line occurs between 34 and 48 cm. The desintegrating sandstone occurs below 100 cm depth. The soil reaction is strongly acid throughout and the amount of exchangeable bases is very low. HYDROLOGY: infiltration is estimated at 25-50 cm/day. Slide nos. of the ISRIC colection: 5988-6000 (profile, details profile, landscape, vegetation, soil monolith transport). Thin section nos. of the ISRIC collection: 2721-2723.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Vetic- Ferralsol (Alumic Hyperdystric Xanthic)

Chromi-Hyperferralic- Cambisol (Hyperdystric)

18-100 cm

ferralic horizon

0-18 cm	ochric horizon
18-100 cm	ferralic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Alumi-Ferralic Cambisol

Ferralic Cambisol

0-18 cm	ochric A horizon
18-100 cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon
-	ferralic

0-18 cm	ochric A horizon
34-71 cm	cambic B horizon
-	ferralic

Local classification:	Haplic latored-yellow soil; Acidi-Undic Cambosol
Common name:	Acid brown earth

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Dystrochrept udic fine-loamy mixed thermic

More images

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
0-18	-	0.2	0.4	4.9	31.0	19.8	56.3	8.5	11.9	20.4	23.3
18-35	3	0.3	0.7	5.2	31.7	20.5	58.4	7.9	12.5	20.4	21.1
35-45	19	0.4	0.4	5.5	32.3	17.3	55.9	8.5	12.1	20.6	23.5
45-60	-	1.0	0.7	5.7	32.0	17.7	57.1	7.4	13.0	20.4	22.6
70-100	-	0.4	0.6	5.4	35.5	17.2	59.1	6.4	14.4	20.8	20.0
104-120	-	0.0	0.2	3.5	49.7	20.2	73.6	7.2	11.6	18.8	7.6

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-18	-	-	-	-	23.3
7-15	1.153	-	-	-	-
18-35	-	-	-	-	21.1
18-27	1.455	-	-	-	-
35-45	-	-	-	-	23.5
45-60	-	-	-	-	22.6
70-100	-	-	-	-	20.0
104-120	-	-	-	-	7.6

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
7-15	1.153	57.3	55.7	49.9	42.1	41.2	35.3	17.2	14.3
18-27	1.455	45.6	45.0	42.8	36.4	36.3	31.0	18.4	15.4

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
0-18	4.2	3.6	0.09	-	2.38	0.14	17	4.2	3.3	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.0	0.3
18-35	4.5	3.7	0.03	-	0.83	0.06	14	2.5	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.2
35-45	4.7	3.8	0.02	-	0.46	0.03	15	1.7	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1
45-60	4.8	4.0	0.02	-	0.34	0.03	11	1.3	0.9	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1
70-100	4.9	4.1	0.01	-	0.21	0.07	3	0.8	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1
104-120	5.2	4.6	0.01	-	0.05	0.01	5	0.1	0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1

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 %
0-18	3	9.3	40	8.3	-	35	0
18-35	5	4.4	21	2.9	-	45	0
35-45	4	2.6	11	1.6	-	50	0
45-60	5	2.1	9	1.2	-	43	0
70-100	7	1.4	7	0.7	-	29	0
104-120	50	0.2	3.0	0.2	-	0	0

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
0-18	-	-	-	0.17	0.02	2.43	0.61	1.40	0.47	-	0.38
18-35	-	-	-	0.10	0.03	2.56	0.56	1.45	0.42	-	0.24
35-45	-	-	-	0.07	0.03	2.90	0.60	1.57	0.30	-	0.08
45-60	-	-	-	0.07	0.03	2.80	0.60	1.36	0.41	-	0.05
70-100	-	-	-	0.07	0.03	2.66	0.55	1.02	0.31	-	0.03
104-120	-	-	-	0.02	0.02	1.10	0.16	0.30	0.12	-	0.03

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-18	medium to strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	weak	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	-	-
18-35	medium to strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	weak	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	-	-
35-45	medium to strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	weak	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	-	-
45-60	medium to strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	weak	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	-	-
70-100	medium to strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	-	-
104-120	weak	-	weak	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah 0-18 cm	dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)clay loam,moderately coherent porous massive,friable,common very fine fine continuous exped and inped tubular pores and vesicular pores,clear wavy boundary to,
EA 18-34 cm	reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8, moist)sandy loam slightly gravelly,moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky,friable,common very fine fine continuous inped tubular pores,very few coarse gravel weathered sandstone fragments,clear smooth boundary to,
Bt1 34-48 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/8, moist)sandy clay loam gravel,moderate medium subangular blocky,friable,patchy moderately thick clay and sesquioxide cutans,common very fine continuous inped tubular pores,frequent coarse gravel weathered sandstone fragments,clear smooth boundary to,
Bt2 48-71 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/8, moist)sandy clay loam slightly gravelly,weak medium and coarse subangular blocky,friable,patchy moderately thick clay and sesquioxide cutans,common very fine fine continuous inped tubular pores,very few coarse gravel weathered sandstone fragments,gradual smooth boundary to,
71-100 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/8, moist)sandy clay loam slightly gravelly,weak medium and coarse subangular blocky,very friable,common very fine continuous inped tubular pores,very few coarse gravel weathered sandstone fragments,gradual wavy boundary to,
C 100- cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, moist)sandy loam,moderately coherent massive,very friable,common very fine discontinuous exped interstitial pores,very frequent coarse gravel weathered sandstone fragments,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sandstone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	Devonian era
Soil Depth	100cm
Texture of parent material	loamy

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: Multi-varied dense shrub
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)	shrub

Altitude	650m
Physiographic Unit	mountain slope
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.	mountain
Slope	40%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	concave
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	mountainous

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	0-105cm
Estimated run off (class)	rapid

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 China 08: Ferralsol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN008: Ferralsols

Classification