Reference soil Germany 17: Chernozem

DE017

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 (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil DE017: Chernozems

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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
0-25	4	-	-	-	-	-	8.3	50.5	24.5	75	16.7
25-40	1	-	-	-	-	-	4	49.7	28	77.7	18.3
40-60	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.3	56.7	22.5	79.2	18.5
60-70	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.3	48.9	29.3	78.2	20.5
70-90	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.1	50.9	32.8	83.7	15.2
100-110	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.1	54.6	31.6	86.2	12.7

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-25	-	-	-	-	16.7
25-40	-	-	-	-	18.3
40-60	-	-	-	-	18.5
60-70	-	-	-	-	20.5
70-90	-	-	-	-	15.2
100-110	-	-	-	-	12.7

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
0-25	8.1	7.1	-	1.6	1.32	0.13	10	-	-	12.2	0.7	0.3	0.0	13.2
25-40	8.1	7.2	-	1.5	0.84	0.10	8	-	-	13.3	0.7	0.2	0.0	14.2
40-60	8.1	7.0	-	1.4	0.86	0.10	9	-	-	13.3	0.7	0.2	0.0	14.2
60-70	8.1	6.9	-	0.2	0.56	0.07	8	-	-	12.3	0.8	0.2	0.0	13.3
70-90	8.3	7.3	-	3.3	0.27	0.04	7	-	-	10.4	0.8	0.1	0.0	11.3
100-110	8.5	7.5	-	14.1	0.12	0.02	6	-	-	8.4	0.7	0.1	0.0	9.2

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 %
0-25	80	16.4	98	4.6	-	-	-
25-40	89	16	87	2.9	-	-	-
40-60	84	16.9	91	3.0	-	-	-
60-70	87	15.3	75	2.0	-	-	-
70-90	91	12.4	82	0.9	-	-	-
100-110	105	8.8	69	0.4	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-25	-	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak to medium	-	weak to medium	strong	weak
40-60	-	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak to medium	-	weak to medium	medium to strong	weak
70-90	-	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak to medium	-	weak	strong	weak
100-110	-	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	medium to strong	-	weak	medium to strong	very weak to weak

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Reference soil Germany 17: Chernozem

Characteristics

Reference soil DE017: Chernozems

Classification