Reference soil France 05: Alisol

FR005

Alisols occur in the tropics and subtropics, and in the warm temperate regions of the world in relatively young landscapes. The high level of exchangeable aluminium in these soils is caused by rapid weathering of secondary high-activity clays such as vermiculite and smectite.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation exchange capacity of 24 cmolc per kg clay or more, and which starts either within 100 cm from the soil surface, or within 200 cm from the soil surface if the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand or coarser textures throughout. They have "alic" properties (high content of exchangeable aluminium) in the major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface; moreover, only such diagnostic horizons as an ochric, albic, andic, ferric, nitic, plinthic, or vertic horizon are present.

Distribution of Alisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil FR005: Alisols

PARENT MATERIAL: reworked loess : "limon de plateau". ROOTS: Main root zone from surface down to depth of 30 cm. CUTANS: Kind: ferri argillans. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON PROFILE DESCRIPTION: A1 - inclusions of very friable silt loam. - gravel: some rounded pebbles (diameter 1-2 cm). A2 - worm channels: filled with darker material from surface soil. boundary from B21 to B22 is arbitrary. B22 - more clayey than B21. IIC - limestone.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Endoleptic-Cutanic- Alisol (Ruptic Siltic Clayic)

Cutani-Endoleptic- Luvisol (Dystric)

31-71 cm	argic horizon
-	continuous rock
-	lithological discontinuity

1-11 cm	ochric horizon
31-71 cm	argic horizon
-	continuous hard rock

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Lithi-Haplic Alisol

Orthic Acrisol

1-11 cm	ochric A horizon
31-71 cm	argic B horizon
-	continuous hard rock

1-11 cm	ochric A horizon
31-71 cm	argillic B horizon

Local classification:	Sol lessivé

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Hapludalf

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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
0-4	-	-	-	-	-	-	27.8	26.1	24.7	50.8	21.3
4-13	-	-	-	-	-	-	28.4	24.6	24.8	49.4	22.2
30-50	-	-	-	-	-	-	21.7	17.9	18.3	36.2	42.1
50-66	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.7	10.3	15.5	25.8	72.5
75-100	-	-	-	-	-	-	14.3	9.5	15.3	24.8	60.9

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-4	-	-	-	-	21.3
4-13	-	-	-	-	22.2
30-50	-	-	-	-	42.1
50-66	-	-	-	-	72.5
75-100	-	-	-	-	60.9

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
0-4	5.8	5.1	-	-	3.31	0.26	13	-	-	9.0	0.9	0.3	0.0	10.2
4-13	5.8	5.2	-	-	1.93	0.16	12	-	-	8.7	0.6	0.3	0.0	9.6
13-30	5.2	4.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
30-50	5.2	3.9	-	0.0	0.24	0.03	8	-	-	8.3	0.6	0.4	0.1	9.4
50-66	5.6	4.1	-	0.2	0.39	0.07	6	-	-	19.6	0.5	0.5	0.1	20.7
75-100	7.9	7.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

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 %
0-4	46	22.3	105	11.6	-	-	0
4-13	39	24.9	112	6.8	-	-	0
30-50	39	23.9	57	0.8	-	-	0
50-66	54	38.2	53	1.4	-	-	0

Profile description

needles nil

Ah 1-11 cm	dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, dry)silt loam gravelly,strong fine angular blocky and crumb,very frequent worm channels and pedotubules,clear wavy boundary to,
E 11-31 cm	dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4, dry)silt loam,weak very fine angular blocky,slightly hard,worm channels,clear wavy boundary to,
Bt1 31-56 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/6, dry)silty clay,strong fine angular blocky,patchy thin cutans,worm channels and pedotubules,diffuse boundary to,
2Bt2 56-70 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/6, dry)silty clay,strong fine angular blocky,continuous moderately thick cutans,pedotubules,abrupt irregular boundary to,
B/2C 70- cm	clay very boulderybroken thick cutans,coarse gravel and stones limestone fragments,

Depth1	56cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sediment, unconsolidated
Kind 2 (parent material) (second entry); Parker (eds), 1984	limestone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	eolian mixed / undifferentiated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material (second entry)	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	loess over limestone
Texture of parent material	loamy
Texture of parent material (second entry)	clayey
Weathering Resistance	moderate
Weathering Resistance (second entry)	poor
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately
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: Pine plantation, 15-20 years old, with herbaceous groundcover
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	evergreen forest

Altitude	390m
Physiographic Unit	dissected plateau
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.	plateau
Slope	1%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

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)	very slow

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 05: Alisol

Characteristics

Reference soil FR005: Alisols

Classification