Reference soil Greece 05: Phaeozem

GR005

Phaeozems occur all over the world, but especially on the more moist side of the steppe regions, bordering Chernozems.

Characteristics

Soils having a mollic horizon (deep, brownish or blackish surface horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation); a base saturation of 50 percent or more between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface; a calcium carbonate-free soil matrix at least to a depth of 100 cm from the soil surface, or to a contrasting layer between 25 and 100 cm; no diagnostic horizons other than an albic, argic, cambic or vertic horizon, or a petrocalcic horizon in the substratum.

Distribution of Phaeozems (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil GR005: Phaeozem

LOCATION: Eastern borders of the village of Myloros. VEGETATION AND LAND USE: Fallow after being used for cereals. At present short grasses and a very sparse cover of Pyrus amygdaliformis and Paliuris australis. Originally deciduous forest with mainly oak. The soil has been ploughed in the past. CLIMATE: Mediterranean with pronounced dry summer. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON PROFILE DESCRIPTION: A1p, A2p & Bw - rock fragments: indurated marl. BC - pedotubules: root channels filled with material from the Ap horizon. C - white (when dry) marl, massive. - concretions: calcium carbonate.

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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
0-5	3	1.1	4.4	6.2	8.4	5.3	25.4	12.8	16.9	29.7	44.9
5-25	4	1.7	3.9	5.6	7.3	5.4	23.9	11.8	15.7	27.5	48.6
25-44	6	1.1	2.9	5.1	6	4.9	20	12.5	15.8	28.3	51.7
44-70	38	0.7	1.7	3.8	5.1	4.8	16.1	12.9	16.2	29.1	54.8

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	-	-	-	-	44.9
5-25	-	-	-	-	48.6
25-44	-	-	-	-	51.7
44-70	-	-	-	-	54.8

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	7.4	6.9	-	9.5	3.74	0.32	12	-	-	30.1	3.8	1.7	0.3	35.9
5-25	7.6	7.0	-	18.7	1.78	0.16	11	-	-	31.5	3.7	0.8	0.4	36.4
25-44	7.6	7.1	-	24.5	1.00	0.10	10	-	-	30.7	3.2	0.5	0.2	34.6
44-70	7.9	7.3	-	40.6	0.74	0.07	11	-	-	26.1	3.1	0.5	0.3	30

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	92	38.9	87	13.1	-	-	-
5-25	103	35.3	73	6.2	-	-	-
25-44	106	32.7	63	3.5	-	-	-
44-70	104	28.8	53	2.6	-	-	-

Profile description

Ap1 0-5 cm	dark greyish brown (10YR 4/2, dry) very dark greyish brown (10YR 3/2, moist)clay loam,moderate very fine crumb,slightly hard very friable very sticky plastic,many very fine pores,very few marl fragments,clear smooth boundary to,
Ap2 5-25 cm	greyish brown (10YR 5/2, dry) (10YR 3.5/2, moist)clay,moderate very fine subangular blocky,hard friable very sticky plastic,many very fine pores,very few marl fragments,abrupt smooth boundary to,
Bw 25-44 cm	light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4, dry) yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, moist)clay,weak very fine subangular blocky,hard friable very sticky plastic,many very fine pores,very few marl fragments,clear smooth boundary to,
44-70 cm	very pale brown (10YR 7/3, dry) pale brown (10YR 6/3, moist)silty clay,massive,hard friable very sticky plastic,common very fine pores,pedotubules,abrupt wavy boundary to,
C 70-155 cm	very pale brown (10YR 8/3, moist)rock,frequent medium calcareous concretions frequent large calcareous concretions,

Major crops	cereals (unspecified)
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	fallow
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	see general remarks
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	short grassland

Altitude	25m
Physiographic Unit	rolling dissected marine terr
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	marine terrace
Slope	15%
Slope Aspect	south
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	rolling

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	somewhat excessive
Dry From - To	60-160cm
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-60cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	rapid

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
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 Greece 05: Phaeozem

Characteristics

Reference soil GR005: Phaeozem

Classification