Reference soil Costa Rica 05: Andosol

CR005

Andosols occur throughout the world where volcanic activity is common, especially in the circum-Pacific region and along the mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Characteristics

Soils with a vitric or andic horizon (slightly to moderately weathered horizons in pyroclastic deposits dominated by short-range-order minerals, notably allophane and imogolite) starting within 25 cm from the soil surface. In addition, they may have a histic, fulvic, melanic, mollic, umbric, ochric, duric, or cambic horizon. Other diagnostic horizons (unless buried deeper than 50 cm by volcanic deposits) are absent.

Distribution of Andosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CR005: Andosols

presence of cutans is not so convincing. Clay mineralogy: halloysite is a mixture of 0.7 and 1.0 nm material.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Gleyic-Vitric- Andosol (Hypereutric Siltic)

Humi-Vitric- Gleysol (Hypereutric)

7-106 cm	cambic horizon
-	gleyic colour pattern
-	reducing conditions
-	vitric

0-7 cm	ochric horizon
17-106 cm	vitric horizon
7-106 cm	cambic horizon
-	strongly humic
-	gleyic

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Humi-Andic Gleysol inundic

Eutric Gleysol phreatic

0-7 cm	ochric A horizon
7-106 cm	cambic B horizon
-	andic
-	strongly humic

0-7 cm	ochric A horizon
7-106 cm	cambic B horizon
-	hydromorphic

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Tropaquept aquic fine-silty mixed isohyperthermic

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
0-7	0	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.9	1.7	19.5	49.4	68.9	29.4
7-17	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.4	0.5	18.3	54.6	72.9	26.5
17-24	0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1	1.7	2	19.9	52.9	72.8	25.3
24-40	0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.6	0.8	16.2	50.1	66.3	32.8
40-68	0	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.4	1.0	1.8	15.8	50.0	65.8	32.5
68-106	0	0.4	1.3	1.1	1.0	1.0	4.8	20.1	60.9	81.0	-
106-113	0	0.0	0.4	0.3	0.5	7.3	8.5	37.6	38.8	76.4	15.0
113-138	0	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.5	1.2	18.6	51.6	70.2	28.7
138-150	0	0.0	0.3	4.4	34.5	21.5	60.7	11.0	27.7	38.7	-

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
1-6	0.814	-	-	-	-
0-7	-	-	-	5.8	29.4
11-16	0.907	-	-	-	-
7-17	-	-	-	12.0	26.5
42-47	0.864	-	-	-	-
17-24	-	-	-	12.3	25.3
24-40	-	-	-	17.2	32.8
40-68	-	-	-	18.9	32.5
68-106	-	-	-	34.1	-
106-113	-	-	-	9.3	15.0
113-138	-	-	-	20.3	28.7
138-150	-	-	-	4.4	-

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
1-6	0.814	68.1	65.3	59.5	54.6	52.7	47.9	36.2	35.3
11-16	0.907	62.8	62.8	61.6	53.8	50.9	45.3	35.9	29.6
42-47	0.864	60.2	58.9	46.6	36.7	34.8	31.5	22.6	18.9

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
0-7	4.8	4.2	0.27	-	9.11	0.60	15	1.5	0.7	9.3	3.1	0.7	0.2	13.3
7-17	5.4	4.5	0.05	-	2.55	0.24	11	0.8	0.5	6.1	2.4	0.6	0.2	9.3
17-24	5.5	4.6	0.04	-	1.66	0.15	11	-	-	6.6	2.8	0.6	0.1	10.1
24-40	5.8	4.6	0.03	-	0.67	0.07	10	-	-	9.4	3.5	0.5	0.2	13.6
40-68	6.2	4.7	0.04	-	0.52	0.06	9	-	-	10.5	4.5	0.3	0.5	15.8
68-106	6.4	4.8	0.04	-	0.37	0.04	9	-	-	10.5	5.5	0.3	0.2	16.5
106-113	6.3	4.7	0.03	-	0.20	0.02	10	-	-	7.6	3.7	0.3	0.5	12.1
113-138	6.3	4.6	0.03	-	0.42	0.06	7	-	-	9.5	4.8	0.4	0.4	15.1
138-150	5.8	5.1	0.04	-	3.30	0.38	9	-	-	5.3	1.8	0.2	0.3	7.6

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 %
0-7	48	27.8	95	31.9	-	3	1
7-17	56	16.6	63	8.9	-	3	1
17-24	62	16.4	65	5.8	-	-	1
24-40	80	17.0	52	2.3	-	-	1
40-68	87	18.1	56	1.8	-	-	3
68-106	88	18.8	-	1.3	-	-	1
106-113	92	13.1	87	0.7	-	-	4
113-138	85	17.7	62	1.5	-	-	2
138-150	44	17.4	-	11.6	-	-	2

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
0-7	-	-	-	0.59	0.09	-	-	-	-	-	1.45
7-17	-	-	-	0.83	0.13	-	-	-	-	-	2.33
17-24	-	-	-	0.76	0.21	-	-	-	-	-	2.34
24-40	-	-	-	0.49	0.01	-	-	-	-	-	1.98
40-68	-	-	-	0.41	0.01	-	-	-	-	-	1.63
68-106	-	-	-	0.30	0.01	-	-	-	-	-	1.68
106-113	-	-	-	0.16	0.19	-	-	-	-	-	1.31
113-138	-	-	-	0.17	0.01	-	-	-	-	-	1.30
138-150	-	-	-	0.28	0.04	-	-	-	-	-	1.30

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-7	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-
7-17	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-
17-24	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-
24-40	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-
40-68	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-
68-106	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-
106-113	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-
113-138	weak	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	-	medium to strong	-

Profile description

Ah 0-7 cm	dark greyish brown (10YR 4/2, moist)silty clay loam wood fragments moderately,weak to moderate medium angular blocky and weak to moderate medium subangular blocky,firm slightly sticky slightly plastic,common fine distinct clear mottles (7.5YR 5/6),no cutans,common fine to coarse pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),no inclusions,no fragments,continuous massive non-cemented petroferric pans,abrupt smooth boundary to,
Bg1 7-17 cm	dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4, moist)silty clay loam,moderate fine and medium subangular blocky and moderate fine and medium angular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common fine distinct clear mottles (10YR 5/6),common very fine fine pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),clear smooth boundary to,
Bg2 17-24 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, moist)silty clay loam,moderate fine and medium subangular blocky and moderate fine and medium angular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 5/6) and common medium distinct mottles (10YR 5/2),many very fine pores and few pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),clear smooth boundary to,
Bg3 24-40 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, moist)silty clay loam,moderate very fine subangular blocky and moderate very fine angular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 5/6) and common medium distinct mottles (10YR 5/2),many very fine fine pores and few pores highly porous (>60 vol%),clear smooth boundary to,
BCg1 40-68 cm	greyish brown (10YR 5/2, moist)silty clay loam,moderate to strong very fine angular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 5/6) and common medium distinct mottles (10YR 4/3),many very fine fine pores and few pores highly porous (>60 vol%),clear smooth boundary to,
BCg2 68-106 cm	light brownish grey (10YR 6/2, moist)silty clay loam,moderate to strong very fine and fine angular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 5/8),many very fine fine pores and few pores highly porous (>60 vol%),clear smooth boundary to,
CBg1 106-113 cm	greyish brown (10YR 5/2, moist)silt loam,moderate fine platy parting to moderate fine angular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 5/6),common very fine fine pores and few pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),clear smooth boundary to,
CBg2 113-138 cm	light brownish grey (10YR 6/2, moist)silty clay loam,weak medium angular blocky,friable sticky plastic,common medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 5/6),common very fine fine pores and few pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),very few medium irregular soft ferruginous concretions,abrupt smooth boundary to,
2ABg 138-150 cm	dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)medium sandy loam,weak very fine and fine subangular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic strongly smeary,common fine distinct 5 mottles (7.5YR 5/6),few common very fine fine pores and few pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sediment, unconsolidated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	fluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	alluvium derived from fine-grained intermediate igneous rock
Texture of parent material	mixed
Texture of parent material (second entry)	mixed
Weathering Resistance	poor
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	slightly

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	absent
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	cultivated pasture
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)	grassland

Altitude	10m
Physiographic Unit	floodplain of Zapote river
Physiographic position of the site	open depression
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	floodplain
Slope	1%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	imperfect
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	irregular
Nature of flood water	fresh
(Estimated) maximum (lower) depth to groundwater table	150cm
Depth to groundwater table	0cm
(Estimated) minimum (upper) depth to groundwater table	0cm
Moist From - To	0-130cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	very slow

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
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 Costa Rica 05: Andosol

Characteristics

Reference soil CR005: Andosols

Classification