Reference soil Ghana 02: Planosol

GH002

Planosols occur in level landscapes throughout the world often associated with broad river valleys.

Characteristics

Soils having an eluvial horizon, the lower boundary of which is marked. within 100 cm from the soil surface, by an abrupt textural change associated with stagnic properties above that boundary. The feature of albeluvic tonguing, however, is lacking.

Distribution of Planosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil GH002: Planosols

Planosol

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Luvic-Endofluvic- Planosol (Sodic Arenic)

Endosodi-Endogleyic- Plinthosol (Luvic Arenic)

67-145 cm

argic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Endosodi-Eutric Planosol

Solodic Planosol sodic

0-24 cm	ochric A horizon
67-145 cm	argic B horizon
-	abrupt textural change
-	sodic

0-24 cm	ochric A horizon
67-145 cm	cambic B horizon
-	abrupt textural change
-	hydromorphic

Local classification:	Regosolic Groundwater Laterite, Doyum Series

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Oxyaquic Ustifluvent
USDA-SCS (1975)	Oxyaquic Ustifluvent ustic sandy over clayey mixed 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
0-10	-	2.6	27.7	24.8	24.4	7.6	87.1	4.1	5.4	9.5	3.3
10-24	-	2.0	28.3	28.8	23.3	6.6	89	3.5	4.6	8.1	2.9
24-44	-	5.1	41.1	31.4	13	2.5	93.1	1.1	3.1	4.2	2.7
44-67	-	4.5	38.6	29.5	4.5	0.6	77.7	1.6	1.8	3.4	18.8
67-80	-	4.4	34.7	25.2	6.3	1.5	72.1	2.3	3.1	5.4	22.5
80-96	-	5.3	25.8	16.3	5.5	2.1	55	3.3	7.2	10.5	34.6
96-115	-	1.1	12.6	10.0	7.2	4.0	34.9	6.0	17.7	23.7	41.4
115-145	-	8.4	26.6	14.8	10.0	3.2	63	4.3	15.8	20.1	17.0

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-10	-	-	-	-	3.3
10-24	-	-	-	-	2.9
24-44	-	-	-	-	2.7
44-67	-	-	-	-	18.8
67-80	-	-	-	-	22.5
80-96	-	-	-	-	34.6
96-115	-	-	-	-	41.4
115-145	-	-	-	-	17.0

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
0-10	6.0	5.0	0.05	-	0.33	0.05	7	-	-	2.5	0.3	0.0	0.0	2.8
10-24	5.7	4.8	0.04	-	0.18	0.04	5	-	-	2.0	0.2	0.0	0.0	2.2
24-44	5.4	4.2	0.02	-	0.06	0.01	6	-	-	1.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	1.1
44-67	5.9	3.8	0.05	-	0.24	0.06	4	-	-	3.6	1.5	0.0	0.4	5.5
67-80	6.0	3.9	0.07	-	0.15	0.06	3	-	-	3.6	1.7	0.0	0.7	6
80-96	5.8	3.9	0.18	-	0.12	0.02	6	-	-	6.2	4.1	0.0	3.7	14
96-115	5.7	4.0	0.24	-	0.06	0.01	6	-	-	7.5	3.2	0.0	3.9	14.6
115-145	6.1	4.1	0.13	-	0.15	0.01	15	-	-	5.6	2.8	0.0	2.4	10.8

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 %
0-10	76	3.7	112	1.2	-	-	0
10-24	52	4.2	145	0.6	-	-	0
24-44	50	2.2	81	0.2	-	-	0
44-67	57	9.7	52	0.8	-	-	4
67-80	62	9.7	43	0.5	-	-	7
80-96	68	20.6	60	0.4	-	-	18
96-115	95	15.4	37	0.2	-	-	25
115-145	91	11.9	70	0.5	-	-	20

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
44-67	-	-	-	-	-	0.40	-	-	-	-	-
67-80	-	-	-	-	-	0.40	-	-	-	-	-
80-96	-	-	-	-	-	1.40	-	-	-	-	-
96-115	-	-	-	-	-	0.37	-	-	-	-	-
115-145	-	-	-	-	-	0.37	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-10	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	weak	strong	-	-
10-24	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	weak	strong	-	-
24-44	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	weak	strong	-	-
44-67	weak to medium	very weak	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	weak	weak to medium	-	-
67-80	weak to medium	very weak	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	weak	weak to medium	-	-
80-96	weak to medium	very weak	-	-	-	-	strong	-	weak	weak	-	-
96-115	weak to medium	very weak	-	-	-	-	strong	-	weak	very weak to weak	-	-
115-145	weak to medium	very weak	-	-	-	-	strong	-	weak	very weak to weak	-	-

Profile description

Ah1 0-10 cm	very dark greyish brown (10YR 3/2, moist)loamy sand,fine granular,loose,non calcareous,abrupt smooth boundary to,
Ah2 10-24 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/2, moist)Description sand,granular and fine crumb,non calcareous,abrupt smooth boundary to,
E 24-44 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)coarse sand,granular,slightly hard,few medium gravel weathered quartz and few coarse gravel weathered quartz fragments,non calcareous,clear smooth boundary to,
EB 44-67 cm	reddish brown (5YR 4/3, moist)sandy loam,granular,hard,few medium gravel weathered quartz and few coarse gravel weathered quartz fragments,non calcareous,clear smooth boundary to,
Bg1 67-80 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/2, moist)sandy clay,very weak fine subangular blocky,firm,many (15-40%) fine distinct mottles (5YR 5/6) and many (15-40%) medium distinct mottles (5YR 5/6),few fine gravel quartz and few fine gravel feldspar fragments,non calcareous,clear smooth boundary to,
Bg2 80-96 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, moist)clay,fine subangular blocky,firm,many (15-40%) medium distinct mottles (2.5YR 3/4) and many (15-40%) medium distinct mottles (2.5YR 3/4),many fine gravel weathered feldspar and few medium gravel fresh quartz fragments,non calcareous,smooth boundary to,
Bg3 96-115 cm	light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2, moist)clay,medium angular blocky and medium subangular blocky,very firm,many (15-40%) medium distinct mottles (2.5YR 3/4) and many (15-40%) coarse distinct mottles (2.5YR 3/4),few feldspar fragments,non calcareous,smooth boundary to,
Bg4 115-145 cm	light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2, moist)clay,angular blocky and subangular blocky,very firm,many (15-40%) medium distinct mottles (10YR 5/6) and many (15-40%) coarse distinct mottles (10YR 5/6),few weathered gneiss fragments,non calcareous,clear boundary to,
145- cm	light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2, moist)clay,many (15-40%) medium distinct mottles (10YR 5/6) and many (15-40%) coarse distinct mottles (10YR 5/6),weathered gneiss fragments,non calcareous,

Depth1	67cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	acidic gneiss
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Soil Depth	80cm
Texture of parent material	sandy clay
Texture of parent material (second entry)	sandy clay
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	absent
Slope stability	stable

Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no irrigation
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	semi-natural grassland, grazed
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	short grassland

Altitude	27m
Physiographic position of the site	upper slope
Slope	2%
Slope Aspect	south

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	excessive
Dry From - To	0-67cm
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	67-96cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high
Estimated run off (class)	medium

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	moderately alkaline
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Microrelief pattern	none
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 Ghana 02: Planosol

Characteristics

Reference soil GH002: Planosols

Classification