Reference soil Gabon 02: Arenosol

GA002

Arenosols occur over large areas in Africa, central and western Australia, the Middle East and central China. Smaller areas are found along coastlines all over the world.

Characteristics

Soils with a loamy sand or coarser texture either to a depth of at least 100 cm from the soil surface, or to a (petro-)plinthic or salic horizon between 50 and 100 cm from the soil surface. They contain less than 35 percent (by volume) rock fragments or other coarse fragments within 100 cm from the soil surface and have no diagnostic horizons other than an ochric, yermic or albic horizon, a (petro-)plinthic or salic horizon below 50 cm from the soil surface, or an argic or spodic horizon below 200 cm below the soil surface.

Distribution of Arenosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil GA002: Arenosols

A very deep soil (> 10m), dominated by eocene sands which cause a somewhat excessive to excessive drainage. The land is used for hunting and contains many different shrubs, herbs and grasses (70%): annona senegalensis, bridelia ferruginea, landolphia awariensis, bulbostylis laniceps, cyperus sp., ctenium newtonii, loudetia simplex, monocymbium ceresiiforme, pennisetum sp.; additional climate data: insolation (h).

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Ferralic- Arenosol (Eutric)

Eutri-Ferralic- Arenosol

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Eutri-Ferralic Arenosol

Ferralic Arenosol

0-16 cm

ochric A horizon

0-16 cm

ochric A horizon

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Quartzipsamment udic 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
0-5	-	0.2	27.2	50.8	17.8	2.5	98.5	0.2	0.2	0.4	1.0
6-15	-	0.2	25.4	51.0	20.9	2.1	99.6	0.0	0.0	-	0.4
20-40	-	0.2	25.9	48.8	22.0	2.5	99.4	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.5
60-100	-	0.2	22.2	46.8	25.1	3.5	97.8	0.7	0.4	1.1	1.1
120-140	-	0.1	22.8	49.2	20.7	3.1	95.9	3.6	0.2	3.8	0.2

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-5	-	-	-	0.9	1.0
6-15	-	-	-	1.4	0.4
20-40	-	-	-	0.9	0.5
60-100	-	-	-	1.8	1.1
120-140	-	-	-	1.8	0.2

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
0-5	5.4	4.2	0.07	-	0.47	0.03	16	0.4	0.2	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.6
6-15	5.3	4.4	0.03	-	0.22	0.02	11	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3
20-40	5.1	4.4	0.03	-	0.20	0.01	20	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2
60-100	5.1	4.6	0.03	-	0.12	0.01	12	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	-
120-140	5.2	4.7	0.03	-	0.13	0.01	13	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1

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 %
0-5	35	1.7	170	1.6	-	12	6
6-15	150	0.2	50	0.8	-	100	50
20-40	67	0.3	60	0.7	-	67	0
60-100	-	0.2	18	0.4	-	0	0
120-140	50	0.2	100	0.5	-	0	50

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
0-5	-	-	-	0.04	0.01	0.50	0.12	-	-	-	0.07
6-15	-	-	-	0.02	0.01	0.45	0.10	-	-	-	0.04
20-40	-	-	-	0.02	0.01	0.46	0.11	-	-	-	0.04
60-100	-	-	-	0.03	0.01	0.57	0.12	-	-	-	0.06
120-140	-	-	-	0.06	0.02	0.80	0.15	-	-	-	0.20

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-5	-	very weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	-	very weak to weak	very weak	-	-
6-15	-	very weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	-	very weak to weak	very weak	-	-
20-40	-	very weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	-	very weak to weak	very weak	-	-
60-100	-	very weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	-	very weak to weak	very weak	-	-
120-140	-	very weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	-	very weak to weak	very weak	-	-

Profile description

A 0-6 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, dry) dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)Description sand,single grain,loose (dry) very friable (moist) non sticky non plastic,many micro to medium tubular pores,many very fine and fine roots,non calcareous,clear irregular boundary to,
6-16 cm	dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4, moist)Description sand,single grain,loose (dry) very friable (moist) non sticky non plastic,many micro to fine tubular pores,many very fine and fine roots,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bo1 16-40 cm	dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6, moist)Description sand,single grain,loose loose (dry and moist) non sticky non plastic,many micro to fine tubular pores,common very fine and fine roots,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bo2 40-110 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, moist)Description sand,single grain,loose (dry and moist) non sticky non plastic,many micro to fine tubular pores,few very fine and fine few medium roots,non calcareous,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bo3 110-150 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, moist)Description sand,single grain,loose (dry and moist) non sticky non plastic,many micro to fine tubular pores,few very fine and fine roots,non calcareous,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	non calcareous sandstone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	Formation Batékée, ensemble sédimentaire sur Eocène grès polymorphes
Texture of parent material	sandy
Weathering Resistance	very high
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Intensity of the soil erosion type (second entry)	slight
Soil erosion type	splash
Soil erosion type (second entry)	rill
Slope stability	stable

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	hunting and fishing
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: savanna with parts of dense forest and many different shrubs, herbs and grasses(70%): Annona senegalensi, Bridelia ferruginea, Landolphia awariensis, Bulbostylis laniceps, Cyperus sp, Ctenium newtonii, Loudetia simplex, Monocymbium ceresiiforme, Pennisetum sp.
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	semi-deciduous shrub

Altitude	640m
Physiographic Unit	upland
Physiographic position of the site	upper slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	hill
Slope	8%
Slope Aspect	south-west
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	somewhat excessive
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	high
Estimated run off (class)	medium
Drainage class - intergrade; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	excessive

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)	surface partly slaked, round smooth aggregates
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 Gabon 02: Arenosol

Characteristics

Reference soil GA002: Arenosols

Classification