Reference soil China 30: Ferralsol

CN030

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 CN030: Ferralsols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION : Deep, well drained, yellowish red clay derived from Quaternary red clay deposits. The topsoil has weakly to moderately developed (sub-)angular blocky structures while the subsoil is strong to very strong angular blocky. Organic carbon content is low and the soil reaction is strongly acid throughout. Dry soil breaks into enormous angular elements. PARENT MATERIAL: on a 20m higher plateau (distance 1km from site) 2-3m red Quaternary clay lies over an unconsolidated conglomerate. Slide nos. of the ISRIC collection: 13922-13928 (landscape, profile, profile details, vegetation, erosion features).

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Haplic- Ferralsol (Hyperdystric Clayic Xanthic)

Hyperdystric- Ferralsol

0-200 cm

ferralic horizon

0-18 cm	ochric horizon
0-200 cm	ferralic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Alumi-Ferralic Cambisol

Ferralic Cambisol

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

0-18 cm	ochric A horizon
18-225 cm	cambic B horizon
-	ferralic

Local classification:	Yellowic para-red soil; Hiweatheri-Udic Ferrosol
Common name:	Acid red clay

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Dystrochrept udic fine 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
0-10	-	0.6	2.0	8.4	15.5	6.0	32.5	8.2	15.2	23.4	44.2
10-15	-	0.5	1.8	8.2	15.7	9.0	35.2	8.2	13.1	21.3	43.6
20-40	-	0.4	1.5	7.3	18.2	7.0	34.4	7.0	13.8	20.8	44.9
40-60	-	0.4	1.2	6.7	16.1	9.5	33.9	7.4	14.4	21.8	44.3
70-90	-	0.5	1.4	6.9	16.2	6.3	31.3	8.9	14.6	23.5	45.1
110-140	-	0.3	1.3	6.1	15.1	9.2	32	7.9	13.2	21.1	46.9
175-200	-	0.2	1.3	7.2	18.2	6.8	33.7	4.1	17.3	21.4	44.9

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-10	-	-	-	9.4	44.2
30-35	1.330	-	-	-	-
10-15	1.389	-	-	4.4	43.6
75-80	1.165	-	-	-	-
20-40	-	-	-	5.9	44.9
120-125	1.243	-	-	-	-
40-60	-	-	-	4.6	44.3
70-90	-	-	-	6.2	45.1
110-140	-	-	-	7.6	46.9
175-200	-	-	-	7.4	44.9

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
30-35	1.330	46.7	43.9	40.1	35.2	32.3	29.6	25.8	23.9
10-15	1.389	44.9	41.8	36.1	31.0	29.3	27.7	25.8	25.1
75-80	1.165	48.3	47.3	40.0	33.4	31.2	29.5	25.9	24.5
120-125	1.243	47.1	46.9	41.1	35.4	33.3	31.4	27.7	26.0

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
0-10	4.8	4.1	0.03	-	0.53	0.06	9	1.5	1.4	0.8	0.3	0.1	0.0	1.2
10-15	4.8	4.0	0.02	-	0.77	0.07	11	1.8	1.6	0.6	0.3	0.1	0.0	1.0
20-40	4.7	4.1	0.01	-	0.26	0.04	7	1.4	1.1	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4
40-60	4.6	4.2	0.01	-	0.20	0.04	5	1.3	1.1	0.2	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.3
70-90	4.6	4.2	0.01	-	0.15	0.04	4	1.3	1.1	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2
110-140	4.5	4.1	0.01	-	0.15	0.04	4	1.9	1.8	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2
175-200	4.6	4.0	0.02	-	0.21	0.04	5	1.9	1.8	0.4	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.5

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 %
0-10	24	5.1	12	1.9	-	27	0
10-15	19	5.4	12	2.7	-	30	0
20-40	9	4.4	10	0.9	-	25	0
40-60	6	4.8	11	0.7	-	23	0
70-90	4	4.8	11	0.5	-	23	0
110-140	4	5.0	11	0.5	-	36	0
175-200	10	4.8	11	0.7	-	38	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
0-10	-	-	-	-	-	2.70	0.70	-	-	-	-
10-15	-	-	-	-	-	2.70	0.70	-	-	-	-
20-40	-	-	-	-	-	2.40	0.60	-	-	-	-
40-60	-	-	-	-	-	2.40	0.60	-	-	-	-
70-90	-	-	-	-	-	2.50	0.60	-	-	-	-
110-140	-	-	-	-	-	2.60	0.60	-	-	-	-
175-200	-	-	-	-	-	2.10	0.50	-	-	-	-

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
0-10	-	0.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10-15	-	0.4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
20-40	-	0.1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
40-60	-	0.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
70-90	-	0.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
110-140	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
175-200	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-10	medium to strong	-	weak	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	medium to strong	-	-	-
10-15	medium to strong	-	weak	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	medium to strong	-	-	-
20-40	medium to strong	-	weak	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	medium to strong	-	-	-
40-60	medium to strong	-	weak	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	medium to strong	-	-	-
70-90	medium to strong	-	weak	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	medium to strong	-	-	-
110-140	medium to strong	-	weak	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	medium to strong	-	-	-
175-200	medium to strong	-	weak	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	medium to strong	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah1 0-10 cm	reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/8, dry) brownish yellow (10YR 6/8, moist)clay loam,weak medium angular blocky,hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,few fine continuous exped and inped tubular random pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few worm channels,abrupt wavy boundary to,
2Ah2 10-18 cm	reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8, dry) yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, moist)clay loam,moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,no cutans,common fine medium continuous exped and inped interstitial random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few worm channels,clear irregular boundary to,
2Bt1 18-60 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, dry) (10YR 4/8, moist)clay,strong coarse angular blocky parting to moderate medium angular blocky,hard firm sticky plastic,patchy thin clay on pedfaces cutans,common fine continuous exped and inped tubular random pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few mammal channels and worm channels,gradual smooth boundary to,
2Bt2 60-100 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, moist)clay,very strong coarse and very coarse angular blocky parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky,firm sticky plastic,continuous moderately thick clay on pedfaces cutans,few common fine continuous exped and inped tubular random pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few worm channels,gradual smooth boundary to,
2Bt3 100-150 cm	(10YR 4/8, moist)clay,strong coarse and very coarse angular blocky parting to moderate to strong MF angular blocky,firm very sticky very plastic,broken moderately thick clay on pedfaces cutans,few common fine continuous exped and inped tubular random pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),no biological activity,
Auger 150-225 cm	(10YR 4/8, moist)clay,firm sticky plastic,moderately porous (40-60 vol%),

Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	unconsolidated, unspecified
Remarks on Parent Materials	Quaternary red clay
Soil Depth	225cm
Texture of parent material	clayey
Texture of parent material (second entry)	clayey
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	absent
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet
Slope stability	stable

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	afforestation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Masson pine and grass
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop rotation scheme not relevant
Status of vegetation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	secondary
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	evergreen woodland

Altitude	150m
Physiographic Unit	broad smooth interfluve
Physiographic position of the site	middle slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	intermontane basin
Slope	4%
Slope Aspect	south-south-west
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	well
Dry From - To	0-60cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	60-225cm
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	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	surface partly slaked, round smooth aggregates
Microrelief Height: variation in height	50
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	terracettes
Microrelief pattern	linear
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 30: Ferralsol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN030: Ferralsols

Classification