Reference soil Cuba 16: Kastanozem

CU016

Kastanozems occur mainly in the dry parts of the steppe regions of the world. Vast areas are found in central Asia and central USA. Smaller occurrences are reported from the Mediterranean region.

Characteristics

Soils having a mollic horizon (deep, dark coloured surface horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation) and accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate within 100 cm from the soil surface. They have no diagnostic horizons other than an argic, calcic, cambic, gypsic, or vertic horizon.

Distribution of Kastanozems

Deep, moderately well drained, yellowish brown clay. (Sub)angular blocky structure, medium porous, soft calcareous nodules. Geology: middle high Eocene: sandstone, marls, limestones and conglomerate. Geomorphology: marine plains and terrace, abrasive, denudative and hilly.

WRB 2006:

WRB 1998:

Calcic Kastanozem(Siltic)

Silti- Calcic Kastanozem

0-28 cm	mollic horizon
28-60 cm	cambic horizon
60-150 cm	calcic horizon
	secondary carbonates

0-28 cm	mollic horizon
28-80 cm	cambic horizon
60-150 cm	calcic horizon
	secondary carbonates

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988:

FAO-UNESCO 1974:

Orthi-

Calcic Kastanozem

0-0 cm	cambic B horizon
0-28 cm	mollic A horizon
28-80 cm	cambic B horizon
60-150 cm	calcic horizon
	soft powdery lime

0-28 cm	mollic A horizon
28-80 cm	cambic B horizon
60-150 cm	calcic horizon;
	soft powdery lime

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)

Typic

Calciustoll

USDA-SCS (1975)

Typic

Calciustoll

clayey

mixed (calcareous)

isohyperthermic

Classification (other)

Pardo con carbonato secundario

Location:

Provincia Guantánamo, Municipio y CAI "El Salvador", Bloque 5

Physical

Particle size distribution:

Depth (cm)		Gravel (%)	Very Coarse Sand (%)	Coarse Sand (%)	Medium Sand (%)	Fine Sand (%)	Very Fine Sand (%)	Total Sand (%)	Coarse Silt (%)	Fine Silt (%)	Total Silt (%)	Clay (%)
0-20	:	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.5	-	5.2	25.7	30.9	68.1
20-60	:	-	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.6	-	4.4	22.7	27.1	71.8
60-80	:	-	0.1	0.1	0.4	0.7	0.6	-	10.8	36.0	46.8	51.3
80-100	:	-	0.0	0.1	0.4	0.8	0.3	-	16.9	47.1	64.0	34.5
100-150	:	-	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.5	0.7	-	17.2	46.2	63.4	35.1

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)		Bulk Density (kg/dm³)	pF 0 (% w/v)	pF 1.0 (% w/v)	pF 1.5 (% w/v)	pF 2.0 (% w/v)	pF 2.3 (% w/v)	pF 2.7 (% w/v)	pF 3.4 (% w/v)	pF 4.2 (% w/v)	pF 2.5 (%)
0-28	:	1.110	51.1	51.0	45.9	44.5	43.5	42.9	39.3	33.3	-
23-60	:	1.230	50.9	50.9	49.3	47.4	46.3	45.7	45.3	37.0	-
60-80	:	1.250	49.9	49.8	44.6	41.7	40.4	39.8	33.9	26.6	-

Other physical data

Depth (cm)		Bulk Density (kg/dm³)	Spec. Surf. Area (m2/g)	COLE (cm/cm)	Water Disp. Clay (%)	Clay (%)
0-20	:	-	-	-	23.6	68.1
20-60	:	-	-	-	39.9	71.8
60-80	:	-	-	-	14.4	51.3
80-100	:	-	-	-	17.4	34.5
100-150	:	-	-	-	15.6	35.1

Chemical characteristics:

Depth (cm)		pH H2O	pH KCl	EC 1 : 2.5 (mS/cm)	CaCO3 (%)	Org. C (%)	Org. N (%)	C / N	Exch. Acid (cmol/kg)	Exch. Al (cmol/kg)	Ca (cmol/kg)	Mg (cmol/kg)	K (cmol/kg)	Na (cmol/kg)	Sum Cations (cmol/kg)
0-20	:	7.8	6.9	0.22	6.6	2.03	0.28	7	-	-	54.2	5.4	0.5	0.2	60.3
20-60	:	8.0	6.8	0.26	6.8	0.82	0.15	5	-	-	50.5	8.1	0.5	0.4	59.5
60-80	:	8.3	6.9	0.20	31.6	0.59	-	-	-	-	70.1	9.9	0.3	0.4	80.7
80-100	:	8.4	7.0	0.18	40.6	0.27	-	-	-	-	57.5	8.4	0.2	0.4	66.5
100-150	:	8.5	6.9	0.18	31.4	0.15	-	-	-	-	70.2	9.1	0.2	0.8	80.3

Depth (cm)		CEC Soil (cmol/kg)	CEC Clay (cmol/kg)	CEC Org (cmol/kg)	ECEC (cmol/kg)	Base sat. (%)	Al sat. (%)	ESP (%)
0-20	:	62.6	-	7.1	-	96	-	0
20-60	:	62.1	-	2.9	-	96	-	1
60-80	:	41.7	-	2.1	-	-	-	1
80-100	:	35.4	-	0.9	-	-	-	1
100-150	:	34.3	-	0.5	-	-	-	2

Clay mineralogy:

Depth (cm)		Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Vermiculite	Chlorite	Smec	Halloysite	Mixed layer	Quar	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Hematite
0-20	:	weak	-	-	-	very strong	-	medium to strong	weak	weak	-	-	-
20-60	:	weak	-	-	-	very strong	-	medium to strong	weak	weak	-	-	-
60-80	:	medium to strong	-	-	-	strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	weak	-	-	-
80-100	:	medium to strong	-	-	-	strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	weak	-	-	-
100-150	:	medium to strong	-	-	-	strong	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	weak	-	-	-

Profile description:

Ap 0-20 cm	dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist), clay, strong medium subangular blocky and strong fine granular, firm slightly sticky slightly plastic, no cutans, common very fine pores and few pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%), no inclusions, no fragments, frequent worm channels and channels, clear irregular boundary to,
AB 20-28 cm	dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist), clay, strong medium subangular blocky, firm slightly sticky slightly plastic, no cutans, common very fine pores and few pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%), no inclusions, no fragments, frequent worm channels and termite channels, clear irregular boundary to,
B 28-60 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, moist), silty clay, strong medium subangular blocky and strong medium angular blocky, very firm sticky plastic, no cutans, few medium pores and few pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%), no inclusions, no fragments, frequent worm channels and channels, continuous massive weakly cemented plough pan pans, clear irregular boundary to,
BCk 60-80 cm	pale brown (10YR 6/3, moist), silt loam, weak to moderate fine subangular blocky, firm non sticky slightly plastic, no cutans, common medium pores and many pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%), few medium spherical soft calcareous nodules, frequent coarse gravel fresh fragments, few worm channels and channels, abrupt smooth boundary to,
Ck 80-100 cm	pale brown (10YR 6/3, moist), silt loam gravelly, massive, friable non sticky non plastic, common medium prominent clear mottles (2.5Y 5/4), no cutans, common fine pores and common pores slightly porous (<40 vol%), frequent medium spherical soft calcareous nodules, very frequent coarse gravel weathered fragments, abrupt irregular boundary to,
CRk 100-150 cm	brown (10YR 5/3, moist), silt loam very gravelly, massive, friable non sticky non plastic, common medium prominent clear mottles (10Y 6/4), no cutans, few fine pores and few pores slightly porous (<40 vol%), frequent medium spherical soft calcareous nodules, very frequent coarse gravel strongly weathered fragments,

The main parent rock/ material over which the soil has been formed (1st entry)	limestone
Mode of Accumulation or deposition of parent material (1st entry)	colluvial
Texture of parent material (1st entry)	clayey
Remarks on Parent Materials	Mid-late Eocene sandstone, marl, limestone and conglomerate

Soil erosion type (1st entry)	gully
Intensity of the soil erosion type (1st entry)	moderate
Slope Stability	locally unstable

Current land use at the site	high level arable farming
Major crops	sugar cane
Vegetation Type;The natural vegetation at the site	semi-deciduous shrub
Status of vegetation	secondary

The altitude of the soil profile relative to mean sea level, specified in meters	54 m asl
Regional landform	low hill
Topography of the surrounding country	undulating
Physiographic Unit in the immediate surrounding of the site	undulating
The slope refers to the inclination of the land immediately surrounding the site. The measured or estimated slope angle is specified to the nearest per cent	2 %
The physiographic position of the site where the profile is located	lower slope
Form of the slope surrounding the site	undulating

Depth of groundwater table	300 cm
Groundwater Top	300 cm
Groundwater Bottom	500 cm
Kind of groundwater table	groundwater table observed
Runoff	medium
Flooding frequency	irregular
Nature of floodwater	fresh
Estimated permeablity (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Drainage Class	moderately well

Microrelief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site	levees (artificial)
Microrelief Pattern	reticulate
Microrelief Height	70
Rockiness	none
Stoniness	fairly stony
Average size of stones	45
Shape of stones (on average)	platy or flat
Cracks	small cracks (width less than 1 cm, or depth less than 50 cm)
Evidence of salt	non-saline
Evidence of alkali	slightly alkaline

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Reference soil Cuba 16: Kastanozem

Characteristics