Reference soil France 03: Cambisol

FR003

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 FR003: Cambisols

Field pH-method is pH(H2O). PARENT MATERIAL: "Gres Vosgien" (Carte Geologique 1:80000, feuille 85, Epinal; 2nd edition 1939). VEGETATION AND LAND USE: Planting trees: 4 years ago. Species: Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Fagus sylvatica. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON PROFILE DESCRIPTION: O1 - mainly beech leaves. Ah - pH(KCl)=2.9 . - slightly brittle. AB - pH(KCl)=4.0 . - peds massive inside. Bw - pH(KCl)=4.2 . - peds massive within. - size pedotubules (root channels): fine. - size stones: 2-3 cm, some to 10 cm. C1 - boulders: red arkose. C2 - pH(KCl)=4.0 . - contains a highly micaous sandy clay layer at 130 cm; C3 - increasing amount of arkose fragments ("gaize").

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Haplic- Cambisol (Alumic Humic Chromic)

Dystri-Chromic- Cambisol

12-77 cm

cambic horizon

12-77 cm	cambic horizon
2-36 cm	ochric horizon
-	strongly humic

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Alumi-Dystric Cambisol

Dystric Cambisol

12-77 cm	cambic B horizon
2-36 cm	ochric A horizon

12-77 cm	cambic B horizon
2-36 cm	ochric A horizon

Local classification:	Sol brun acide

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Dystrochrept

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
2-12	-	-	-	-	-	-	73.4	7.7	9.8	17.5	9.1
12-36	-	-	-	-	-	-	70.7	7.2	9.5	16.7	12.6
36-77	-	-	-	-	-	-	72.3	7.1	6.3	13.4	14.3
77-92	-	-	-	-	-	-	69.7	8.8	8.2	17.0	13.3
92-112	-	1.7	8.8	28.1	29.4	7.8	75.8	2.3	8.8	11.1	13.0
112-167	-	0.1	1.7	8.4	32.7	24.6	67.5	4.0	10.1	14.1	18.5

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
2-12	-	-	-	-	9.1
12-36	-	-	-	-	12.6
36-77	-	-	-	-	14.3
77-92	-	-	-	-	13.3
92-112	-	-	-	-	13.0
112-167	-	-	-	-	18.5

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
2-12	4.8	3.9	-	-	1.15	0.10	11	2.0	1.0	0.5	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.7
12-36	4.8	4.0	-	-	0.54	0.06	9	1.5	0.8	-	-	-	-	-
36-77	4.9	4.1	-	-	0.22	0.03	7	1.5	1.5	0.5	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.7
77-92	5.1	4.3	-	-	0.09	0.02	5	-	-	0.3	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.4
92-112	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.2	1.5	0.5	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.6
112-167	4.9	4.0	-	-	-	-	-	3.1	2.2	-	-	-	-	-

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 %
2-12	8	8.8	97	4.0	-	11	0
36-77	12	6.0	42	0.8	-	25	0
77-92	8	5.3	40	0.3	-	-	0
92-112	15	3.9	-	-	-	38	0

Profile description

leaves nilleaves moderately

Ah 2-12 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2, moist)sandy loam,weak coarse angular blocky,highly porous (>60 vol%),few worm channels,clear boundary to,
12-36 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)sandy loam,weak coarse angular blocky,friable,highly porous (>60 vol%),diffuse boundary to,
B 36-77 cm	reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4, moist)sandy loam stony,weak very coarse angular blocky,friable,frequent pedotubules,diffuse boundary to,
77-92 cm	reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4, moist)sandy loam very stony,
C1 92-112 cm	bouldersdiffuse boundary to,
C2 112-167 cm	dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)sandy clay loam,massive,friable,
C3 165- cm	dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)sandy clay loam,massive,friable,arkose fragments,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	arkosic sandstone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	Gres vosgien
Texture of parent material	loamy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock (second entry)	slightly

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	afforestation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LANDUSE: Forest planted in 1962; species: Pseudotsuga douglasii and Fagus sylvatica with herbaceous undergrowth
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	evergreen forest

Altitude	610m
Physiographic Unit	saddle
Physiographic position of the site	slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	mountain
Slope	9%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	steeply dissected

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
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
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline

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Reference soil France 03: Cambisol

Characteristics

Reference soil FR003: Cambisols

Classification