Reference soil Ecuador 01: Durisol
EC001
Durisols are found in the drier climates of the world where a source of silica is present, notably Southern Africa and Australia. Smaller occurrences are reported from the USA and the Mediterranean region.
Characteristics
Soils having a (petro-)duric horizon (horizon with accumulation of secondary silica) within 100 cm from the soil surface.
Distribution of Durisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)
Reference soil EC001: Durisols
Effective soil depth depends on the physiographic position, it may range from very shallow to deep. The soil is already many years under cultivation. "Cangahua" is the local name for the hard, compacted ash layer; especially the first 20 to 30 cm of the Cangahua layer has blackish mottles ; although the Cangahua is hard and difficult to dig or cut, a piece can be easily broken in subangular blockies.