Reference soil Germany 14: Luvic Chernozem

DE014

Chernozems are typically found in the long-grass steppe regions of the world, particularly in Eastern Europe and North America (Canada and the USA).

Characteristics

Soils having a very dark mollic horizon (thick, brownish or blackish surface horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation) and secondary carbonates within 50 cm of the lower limit of the Ah horizon, but within 200 cm from the soil surface. They have no petrocalcic horizon between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface, no secondary gypsum and no uncoated sand and silt grains on structural pedfaces

Distribution of Chernozems

Reference soil DE014: Chernozem

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))

Classification

WRB 2014

Chernozem

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Luvic Chernozem

- cm	argillic B horizon
- cm	mollic A horizon

USDA-SCS (1975)

Argiudoll

fine-silty

mixed

mesic

local classification

Parabraunerde-Tschernosem

Location:

Niedersachsen, 4km N of Hildesheim at Harsum

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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,

Mode of Accumulation or deposition of parent material (1st entry)	eolian loess
Remarks on Parent Materials	Weichsel loess

Current land use at the site	arable farming
Vegetation Type;The natural vegetation at the site	deciduous forest
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
Topography of the surrounding country	undulating
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

Rockiness	none
Stoniness	none
Average size of stones
Evidence of salt	non-saline
Evidence of alkali	non-alkaline

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Reference soil Germany 14: Luvic Chernozem

Characteristics

Reference soil DE014: Chernozem

Classification