Reference soil China 50: Cambisol

CN050

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 CN050: Cambisols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION : Moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained, dark yellowish brown to purplish, silt loam derived from sandstone/shale. EFFECTIVE SOIL DEPTH: the effective soil depth is very much influenced by the land use / LAND USE: Ripples are made by man to cultivate sweet potatoes as one of the five crops.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Epileptic- Cambisol (Calcaric Siltic Chromic)

Calcari-Epileptic- Cambisol (Chromic)

15-40 cm	cambic horizon
-	continuous rock

0-25 cm	ochric horizon
25-40 cm	cambic horizon
-	continuous hard rock

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Silti-Calcaric Cambisol lithic

Calcic Cambisol lithic

0-25 cm	ochric A horizon
- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon
-	calcareous

0-25 cm	ochric A horizon
25-40 cm	cambic B horizon
-	lithic contact

Local classification:	Calcic purple soil; Purpli-Udic Cambosol
Common name:	Limy red earth

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Eutrochrept udic fine-silty 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
0-25	-	1.6	1.9	2.4	3.9	11.1	20.9	18.7	34.3	53.0	26.1
25-40	-	1.7	2.8	4.1	5.6	8.0	22.2	14.2	37.6	51.8	25.9

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-25	1.481	-	-	18.8	26.1
25-40	1.434	-	-	14.3	25.9

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
0-25	1.481	39.0	36.6	33.4	31.1	29.8	28.2	23.9	19.8
25-40	1.434	41.3	34.9	30.3	27.3	26.0	24.8	22.2	18.8

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
0-25	8.3	7.1	0.16	13.6	0.32	0.06	5	-	-	49.8	1.0	0.3	0.1	51.2
25-40	8.2	7.1	0.26	15.7	0.13	0.04	3	-	-	46.3	0.7	0.3	0.2	47.5

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 %
0-25	231	22.2	85	1.1	-	-	0
25-40	214	22.2	86	0.5	-	-	1

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
0-25	-	0.7	8.0	-	-	-	-	-	-
25-40	-	0.0	1.9	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-25	-	very weak	-	weak	-	-	weak	medium to strong	weak	weak	medium to strong	weak
25-40	-	very weak	-	very weak	-	-	weak	medium to strong	weak	weak	medium to strong	weak

Profile description

Ap 0-25 cm	weak red (10R 4/4, moist)silt loam gravelly,very strong fine granular to very strong medium granular,friable,many fine to coarse exped and inped pores highly porous (>60 vol%),frequent fine gravel weathered lime-sandstone frequent medium gravel weathered lime-sandstone fragments,frequent worm channels,clear smooth boundary to,
B 25-40 cm	(10R 4/5, moist)silt loam stony,moderate to strong fine and medium subangular blocky,firm,many very fine exped and inped pores and many exped and inped pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few medium gravel fresh lime-sandstone fragments,frequent worm channels,abrupt wavy boundary to,
B 25-40 cm	reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4, dry)

Depth1	40cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sandstone/shale
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Soil Depth	55cm
Texture of parent material	sandy clay
Texture of parent material (second entry)	sandy clay
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

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

Major crops	wheat
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: Intercropping of five crops
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop rotation scheme not relevant

Altitude	415m
Physiographic Unit	low hill lands., Sichuan Basin
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.	low hill
Slope	2%
Slope Aspect	north
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	hilly

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	somewhat excessive
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-40cm
Estimated run off (class)	medium

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Average size of stone	2
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Microrelief Height: variation in height	30
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	ripples
Microrelief pattern	linear
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Shape of stones (on average)	angular irregular
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	very stony

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Reference soil China 50: Cambisol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN050: Cambisols

Classification