Reference soil China 23: Alisol

CN023

Alisols occur in the tropics and subtropics, and in the warm temperate regions of the world in relatively young landscapes. The high level of exchangeable aluminium in these soils is caused by rapid weathering of secondary high-activity clays such as vermiculite and smectite.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation exchange capacity of 24 cmolc per kg clay or more, and which starts either within 100 cm from the soil surface, or within 200 cm from the soil surface if the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand or coarser textures throughout. They have "alic" properties (high content of exchangeable aluminium) in the major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface; moreover, only such diagnostic horizons as an ochric, albic, andic, ferric, nitic, plinthic, or vertic horizon are present.

Distribution of Alisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CN023: Alisols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION : Shallow to moderately deep yellow sandy loam derived from sandstone. The shallow soil overlays a weathered sandstone, the hard sandstone starts at about 100 cm. LAND USE: the hard sandstone can be cut into blocks with relative ease and is frequently used for house building. Many quarries are observed in the area.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Cutanic-Hyperalic- Alisol

Hyperdystric- Cambisol

5-65 cm

argic horizon

0-5 cm	ochric horizon
5-65 cm	argic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Xanthi-Haplic Alisol

Dystric Cambisol

0-5 cm	ochric A horizon
5-65 cm	argic B horizon
- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon

0-5 cm	ochric A horizon
5-65 cm	cambic B horizon

Local classification:	Ali-Udic Cambosol
Common name:	Acid yellow-brown earth

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Ustochrept ustic fine-loamy 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
0-5	-	0.7	1.6	13.1	34.6	24.7	74.7	6.4	4.2	10.6	14.7
5-30	-	0.3	0.5	18.2	24.1	19.8	62.9	3.7	9.2	12.9	24.1
30-65	-	0.1	0.8	25.0	28.6	10.0	64.5	4.1	8.9	13.0	22.6
65-100	-	0.1	0.3	23.6	29.9	17.3	71.2	4.0	6.9	10.9	17.8
100-120	-	0.0	0.2	20.4	46.2	12.8	79.6	5.7	9.8	15.5	5.0

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-5	-	-	-	5.5	14.7
12-17	1.647	-	-	-	-
5-30	-	-	-	2.0	24.1
32-37	1.448	-	-	-	-
30-65	-	-	-	5.5	22.6
65-70	1.541	-	-	-	-
65-100	-	-	-	5.9	17.8
100-120	-	-	-	-	5.0

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
12-17	1.647	34.5	32.0	30.4	25.6	22.5	20.4	17.5	14.5
32-37	1.448	42.0	41.2	38.8	35.0	33.0	31.1	26.3	23.6
65-70	1.541	40.8	40.2	38.8	35.7	33.5	31.5	27.1	22.0

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
0-5	4.5	4.1	0.03	-	0.58	0.04	14	2.4	2.2	1.4	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.5
5-30	4.4	3.9	0.02	-	0.16	0.02	8	7	6.4	1.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.2
30-65	4.4	3.8	0.02	-	0.06	0.01	6	9.1	8.8	1.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.1
65-100	4.5	3.8	0.02	-	0.04	0.01	4	9.3	8.8	1.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.1
100-120	4.7	3.9	0.01	-	0.00	0.01	0	8.8	8.4	1.4	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.5

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 %
0-5	38	4.0	27	2.0	-	55	0
5-30	14	8.7	36	0.6	-	74	0
30-65	10	11.2	50	0.2	-	79	0
65-100	12	9.0	51	0.1	-	98	0
100-120	15	9.8	196	0.0	-	86	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
0-5	-	-	-	-	-	0.90	0.20	-	-	-	-
5-30	-	-	-	-	-	1.20	0.30	-	-	-	-
30-65	-	-	-	-	-	0.90	0.30	-	-	-	-
65-100	-	-	-	-	-	0.70	0.20	-	-	-	-
100-120	-	-	-	-	-	0.20	0.10	-	-	-	-

Depth (cm)	CaSO4.2H2O %	P Bray mg/kg	P Olsen mg/kg	pH CaCl2	clay_noncarbonate % w/w	clay_carbonate % w/w	phosphorus4 mg/kg	phosphorus1 mg/kg	total_sulfur % w/w
0-5	-	1.1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5-30	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
30-65	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
65-100	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
100-120	-	3.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-5	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	weak	-
5-30	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	weak	-
30-65	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	weak	-
65-100	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	medium to strong	-
100-120	weak	-	-	-	-	-	weak	-	-	-	medium to strong	-

Profile description

Ah 0-5 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, dry) dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)sandy loam,weakly coherent porous massive,hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,gradual smooth boundary to,
B 5-30 cm	brownish yellow (10YR 6/8, moist)sandy clay loam,weakly coherent porous massive to weak medium subangular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,few fine tubular pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
30-65 cm	yellow (10YR 7/8, moist)loam,weakly coherent porous massive to weak medium subangular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,few medium faint mottles (2.5YR 7/8),few fine tubular pores,few medium soft ferruginous nodules,clear wavy boundary to,
C 65-100 cm	sandy loamweakly coherent porous massive,very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common fine tubular pores,abrupt smooth boundary to,
R 100-120 cm	Description sandnon sticky non plastic,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sandstone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	fine red sandstone
Soil Depth	100cm
Texture of parent material	loamy
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

Intensity of the soil erosion type	moderate
Soil erosion type	sheet

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	fallow
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LANDUSE: The hard sandstone can be cut into blocks with relative ease and is frequently used for house-building. Many quarries occur in the area.

Altitude	50m
Physiographic Unit	low, broad interfluve
Physiographic position of the site	crest
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plain
Slope	2%
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	moderately well
Dry From - To	0-50cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	50-125cm
Estimated run off (class)	rapid
Drainage class - intergrade; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well

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)	surface slaked; sorted sand/silt, some clay films
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 China 23: Alisol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN023: Alisols

Classification