Reference soil Germany 14: Luvic Chernozem

DE014

Distribution of Chernozems

A deep, moderately well drained silt soil profile, rich in organic matter, derived from late-Pleistocene calcareous loess. At 2 m depth sand and gravel appear. The BC horizon has got several colours (10 YR 4/3, 10 YR 6/4, 10 YR 3/2, 10 YR 2/2)). The boundaries of the horizons are often irregular due to heavy bioturbation. The soil is used for crops, mainly a rotation of sugarbeets, wheat and barley/oats. (additional climatic data: insolation (hrs))

USDA-SCS (1975)

Argiudoll

fine-silty

mixed

mesic

Classification (other)

Parabraunerde-Tschernosem

Location:

Niedersachsen, 4km N of Hildesheim at Harsum

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 (%)
0-10	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.5	55.3	25.3	80.6	15.9
10-20	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.4	59	22.3	81.3	15.3
20-35	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.1	56.5	23.1	79.6	17.3
35-60	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.3	54.5	22.9	77.4	19.3
60-70	:	12	-	-	-	-	-	3.5	59.1	27.7	86.8	9.7
70-90	:	26	-	-	-	-	-	2.8	61.9	23.4	85.3	11.9

Other physical data

Depth (cm)		Bulk Density (kg/dm³)	Spec. Surf. Area (m2/g)	COLE (cm/cm)	Water Disp. Clay (%)	Clay (%)
0-10	:	-	-	-	-	15.9
10-20	:	-	-	-	-	15.3
20-35	:	-	-	-	-	17.3
35-60	:	-	-	-	-	19.3
60-70	:	-	-	-	-	9.7
70-90	:	-	-	-	-	11.9

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)	Sum Cations (cmol/kg)
0-10	:	5.1	3.8	-	-	2.49	0.21	12	-	-	7.2	1.2	0.4	8.8
10-20	:	5.1	3.6	-	-	1.73	0.16	11	-	-	7.1	1.1	0.2	8.4
20-35	:	6.4	5.2	-	-	1.41	0.14	10	-	-	13.3	2.0	0.1	15.4
35-60	:	7.0	5.8	-	0.9	1.37	0.14	10	-	-	16.5	2.6	0.1	19.2
60-70	:	7.7	6.8	-	4	0.30	0.05	6	-	-	11.2	1.8	0.1	13.1
70-90	:	8.1	7.1	-	14.4	0.11	0.03	4	-	-	8.1	1.2	0.1	9.4

Depth (cm)		CEC Soil (cmol/kg)	CEC Clay (cmol/kg)	CEC Org (cmol/kg)	ECEC (cmol/kg)	Base sat. (%)	Al sat. (%)	ESP (%)
0-10	:	26.2	165	8.7	-	34	-	-
10-20	:	19.1	125	6.1	-	44	-	-
20-35	:	20.5	118	4.9	-	75	-	-
35-60	:	24.2	125	4.8	-	79	-	-
60-70	:	12.4	128	1.1	-	106	-	-
70-90	:	7.9	66	0.4	-	119	-	-

Elemental composition of the soil:

Depth (cm)		SiO2 (wt%)	Al2O3 (wt%)	Fe2O3 (wt%)	CaO (wt%)	MgO (wt%)	K2O (wt%)	Na2O (wt%)	TiO2 (wt%)
0-10	:	78.3	8.1	2.5	0.71	0.42	2.12	-	0.72
10-20	:	80.3	8.3	2.5	0.68	0.57	2.11	-	0.73
20-35	:	78.8	8.4	2.6	0.88	0.62	2.10	-	0.73
35-60	:	76.6	9.0	3	0.93	0.68	2.19	-	0.72
60-70	:	76.1	8.8	3	2.53	0.94	2.34	-	0.7
70-90	:	69.5	7.5	2.5	8.16	1.36	2.15	-	0.64

Elemental composition of the soil:

Depth (cm)		MnO2 (wt%)	P2O5 (wt%)	LOI (wt%)	SiO2 / Al2O3 (mol/mol)	SiO2 / Fe2O3 (mol/mol)	SiO2 / R (mol/mol)	Al2O3 / Fe2O3 (mol/mol)
0-10	:	0.05	0.09	5.8	16.4	83.4	13.7	5.1
10-20	:	0.04	0.07	4.9	16.4	85.5	13.8	5.2
20-35	:	0.05	0.07	4.6	15.9	80.7	13.3	5.1
35-60	:	0.05	0.07	4.7	14.4	68.0	11.9	4.7
60-70	:	0.06	0.07	3.9	14.7	67.5	12.1	4.6
70-90	:	0.04	0.11	8.1	15.7	74.0	13.0	4.7

Clay mineralogy:

Depth (cm)		Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Vermiculite	Chlorite	Smec	Halloysite	Mixed layer	Quar	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Hematite
0-10	:	strong	weak to medium	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	very strong	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-
10-20	:	strong	weak to medium	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	very strong	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-
20-35	:	strong	weak to medium	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	very strong	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-
35-60	:	strong	weak to medium	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	very strong	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-
60-70	:	strong	strong	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	very strong	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-
70-90	:	strong	strong	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	very strong	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-

Profile description:

Ah1 0-10 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist), silt loam, strong fine subangular blocky and strong fine crumb, very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic, gradual smooth boundary to,
Ah2 10-32 cm	(7.5YR 3.5/2, moist), silt loam, SR fine subangular blocky and strong fine crumb, very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic, abrupt irregular boundary to,
Ah3 32-55 cm	very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2, moist), silt loam, strong fine subangular blocky, very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic, broken clay in root channels and pores cutans, many very fine fine pores and few medium pores, clear irregular boundary to,
BC 55-78 cm	silt loam, strong fine and medium angular blocky and strong fine and medium subangular blocky, very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic, broken clay cutans, clear irregular boundary to,
cm	yellow (10YR 7/6, moist), silt loam, weak angular blocky and structureless porous massive, common fine distinct mottles (10 YR 7/2) and (10 YR 6/8), calcareous concretions,

The main parent rock/ material over which the soil has been formed (1st entry)
Mode of Accumulation or deposition of parent material (1st entry)	eolian loess
Texture of parent material (1st entry)
Depth1 of lithological boundary	cm
The main parent rock/ material over which the soil has been formed (2nd entry)
Resistance against weathering (solid rock) (2nd entry)
Soil Depth; depth to which roots can easily penetrate throughout the year	cm
Remarks on Parent Materials	Weichsel loess

Current land use at the site	arable farming
Major crops
Main type of irrigation
Rotation scheme
Vegetation Type;The natural vegetation at the site	deciduous forest
Status of vegetation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	oaks, beeches; crops (see remarks)

The altitude of the soil profile relative to mean sea level, specified in meters	75 m asl
Regional landform
Topography of the surrounding country	undulating
Physiographic Unit in the immediate surrounding of the site
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	3 %
The physiographic position of the site where the profile is located	middle slope
Form of the slope surrounding the site
Slope Aspect of the site

Depth of groundwater table	cm
Groundwater Top	cm
Groundwater Bottom	cm
Kind of groundwater table
Top Stagnating Layer	cm
Bottom Stagnating Layer	cm
Estimated permeablity (class) of least permeable part of the profile
Drainage Class	well
To Drainage Class
Moisture conditions of the profile: dry from -to	cm
Moisture conditions of the profile: moist from -to	cm
Wet From - To	cm

Microrelief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site
Microrelief Height
Rockiness	none
Stoniness	none
Average size of stones
Shape of stones (on average)
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost
Evidence of salt	non-saline
Evidence of alkali	non-alkaline

Soil erosion type (1st entry)
Occurrence of soil aggradation
Slope Stability

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Reference soil Germany 14: Luvic Chernozem