Reference soil China 34: Cambisol

CN034

Cambisols occur mainly in the temperate and boreal regions of the world, where the soil’s parent material is still young or where low temperatures slow down the processes of soil formation.

Characteristics

Soils having either a cambic horizon (a horizon showing evidence of alteration with respect to the underlying material), or a mollic horizon overlying a subsoil, which has a base saturation of less than 50 percent in some part within 100 cm from the soil surface, or one of the following diagnostic horizons within the specified depth: an andic, vertic, or vitric horizon starting between 25 and 100 cm; a (petro-)plinthic or salic horizon starting between 50 and 100 cm, in absence of loamy sand or coarser textures above these horizons.

Distribution of Cambisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CN034: Cambisols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION : Deep, well drained, (dark) reddish brown silt loam derived from slope wash materials overlying at 65 cm depth a truncated soil developed in loess deposits. The topsoil has very weakly developed crumb structures and a plough pan can be observed. Its organic carbon content is low. The subsoil dominantly shows prismatic and angular blocky structures. Soil reaction is slightly alkaline to alkaline and some calcium carbonate is present. PARENT MATERIAL: profile consists of a characteristic deposit of ca 100 y old colluvia on top of the truncated loess / HYDROLOGY: run off is zero for less important showers due to small ridges perpendicular to the slope. Heavy showers may result in important run off. As a consequence aggradation only in combination with heavy showers / LAND USE AND VEGETATION: crops include also sorghum. Original vegetation was cut completely ca 100 years ago. It consisted of broad leave forest / CLIMATE: additional climatic data are available for the weather stations of Jingzhou (41 8 N/121 7 E; altitude 66 m a.s.l.; 65 km SE of site; relevance: moderate) and Jianping Yebaisou (41 23 N/119 42 E; altitude 422 m a. s. l.; 65 km WSW of site; relevance: moderate).

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Haplic- Cambisol (Calcaric Siltic Chromic)

Chromi-Calcaric- Cambisol

15-150 cm

cambic horizon

0-15 cm	ochric horizon
15-150 cm	cambic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Silti-Chromic Cambisol

Chromic Cambisol

0-15 cm	ochric A horizon
- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon

0-15 cm	ochric A horizon
15-100 cm	cambic B horizon

Local classification:	Haplic cinnamon soil; Hapli-Ustic Cambosol
Common name:	Limy brown earth

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Ustochrept ustic fine-silty mixed mesic

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
0-15	-	0.4	0.5	0.8	2.0	12.0	15.7	35.1	19.8	54.9	29.5
20-40	-	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.7	9.8	11.1	32.3	23.3	55.6	33.4
40-60	-	0.0	0.2	0.3	1.0	12.2	13.7	31.2	21.4	52.6	33.8
70-100	-	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.7	13.6	14.8	32.4	19.1	51.5	33.7
110-140	-	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.6	17.0	17.8	30.1	18.9	49.0	33.2

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-15	-	-	-	-	29.5
10-15	1.293	-	-	-	-
20-40	-	-	-	-	33.4
48-53	1.300	-	-	-	-
40-60	-	-	-	-	33.8
88-93	1.379	-	-	-	-
70-100	-	-	-	-	33.7
110-140	-	-	-	-	33.2

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
10-15	1.293	49.4	48.1	43.5	34.7	33.3	22.0	18.3	14.6
48-53	1.300	47.4	44.7	39.4	32.4	31.4	25.0	22.8	17.9
88-93	1.379	43.5	41.4	35.9	30.6	29.7	24.7	23.2	18.6

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
0-15	7.4	6.5	0.26	1.0	0.68	0.08	9	-	-	20.3	2.4	0.6	0.1	23.4
20-40	8.0	7.1	0.20	0.8	0.28	0.05	6	-	-	25.2	2.1	0.4	0.1	27.8
40-60	8.2	7.3	0.16	2.5	0.29	0.05	6	-	-	48.8	2.4	0.4	0.2	51.8
70-100	8.3	7.3	0.18	1.5	0.19	0.04	5	-	-	41.0	2.4	0.4	0.3	44.1
110-140	8.4	7.2	0.16	1.1	0.10	0.03	3	-	-	25.6	2.4	0.3	0.4	28.7

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 %
0-15	122	19.2	65	2.4	-	-	1
20-40	141	19.7	59	1.0	-	-	1
40-60	-	18.4	54	1.0	-	-	1
70-100	230	19.2	57	0.7	-	-	2
110-140	156	18.4	55	0.4	-	-	2

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
0-15	-	-	7.5	-	-	-	-	-	-
20-40	-	-	2.1	-	-	-	-	-	-
40-60	-	-	7.2	-	-	-	-	-	-
70-100	-	-	13.1	-	-	-	-	-	-
110-140	-	-	16.8	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-15	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak	-	weak	medium to strong	weak
20-40	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak	-	weak	medium to strong	weak
40-60	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak	-	weak	medium to strong	weak
70-100	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak	-	weak	medium to strong	weak
110-140	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak	-	weak	medium to strong	weak

Profile description

Ap 0-15 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 4/6, dry)silt loam,very weak medium crumb and massive moderate,slightly hard very friable sticky slightly plastic,no cutans,many few micro pores and many micro pores,no inclusions,very few fine gravel weathered various nature fragments,few worm channels and sclerotium,plough pan pans,abrupt smooth boundary to,
B 15-65 cm	yellowish red (5YR 5/8, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)silt loam,weak very coarse prismatic parting to moderate coarse subangular and angular blocky,slightly hard friable sticky slightly plastic,patchy thin clay and sesquioxide cutans,many very fine inped tubular pores,no inclusions,no fragments,gradual smooth boundary to,
2Bt 65-100 cm	(7.5YR 3/6, dry) (10YR 4/8, moist)silt loam,weak to moderate coarse angular blocky parting to strong very fine and fine angular blocky,slightly hard very friable sticky slightly plastic,common fine distinct sharp mottles (10YR 5/6) and very fine fine prominent mottles (N 2/0),continuous moderately thick clay and sesquioxide on pedfaces cutans,many very fine fine inped tubular pores and few continuous tubular vertical pores,no inclusions,no fragments,few worm channels,

Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	slope wash
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material (second entry)	eolian mixed / undifferentiated
Soil Depth	150cm
Texture of parent material	silty
Texture of parent material (second entry)	silty

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	present
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Intensity of the soil erosion type (second entry)	severe
Soil erosion type	sheet
Soil erosion type (second entry)	gully
Slope stability	stable

Major crops	maize
Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	terracing
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	low level arable farming
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LANDUSE: Also sorghum. Original vegetation, consisting of broad-leave forest, was cut completely ca 100 years ago
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	continuous crop rotation

Altitude	200m
Physiographic Unit	dissected slope
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.	hill
Slope	10%
Slope Aspect	west
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	rolling

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-150cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
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
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	level
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 34: Cambisol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN034: Cambisols

Classification