Reference soil Greenland 02: Histosol

GL002

Large areas of Histosols are found in the circumpolar region of the northern hemisphere, as well as in Southeast Asia. Histosols are formed in 'organic material' with physical, chemical and mechanical properties that differ strongly from those of mineral soil materials. Organic soil material accumaulates in conditions where plant matter is produced by a climax vegetation and where decomposition is slow.

Characteristics

Soils having a histic or folic horizon (wet or dry organic horizons, respectively) either 10 cm or more thick if overlying a lithic or paralithic contact, or 40 cm or more thick and starting within 30 cm from the soil surface. Histosols do not have an andic or vitric horizon that starts within 30 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Histosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil GL002: Histosols

PARENT MATERIAL: peat overlying hyperstene-granite. LAND USE: Carex bigelowii grass heath with Sphagnum spp, Carex rariflora, Polygonum viviparum, Salix herbacea and Campanula gieseckiana. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROFILE: A dark brown to light brown surface layer of stratified sphagnum peat with intact plant remains overlies at 23 cm depth partly decomposed very dark brown peat mixed with mineral particles which shows faint stratification due to transport of the soil material

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Rheic-Fibric- Histosol (Dystric)

Rhei-Fibric- Histosol (Dystric)

organic

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Dystri-Fibric Histosol

Dystric Histosol

0-40 cm	histic H horizon
- cm	histic H horizon

0-40 cm

histic H horizon

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Sphagnofibrist frigid

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	organic material
Kind 2 (parent material) (second entry); Parker (eds), 1984	granite
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	organic
Remarks on Parent Materials	peat overlying hyperstene-granite. Dark brown to light brown stratified sphagnum peat with intact plant remains overlying at 23 cm depth partly decomposed very dark brown peat mixed with faintly stratified mineral particles.
Texture of parent material	organic
Texture of parent material (second entry)	organic
Weathering Resistance (second entry)	high

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 vegetation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Carex bigelowii grass heath with Sphagnum spp, Carex rariflora, Polygonum viviparum, Salix herbacea and Campanula gieseckiana
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop rotation scheme not relevant
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	tundra

Altitude	30m
Physiographic Unit	glacial deformed valley
Physiographic position of the site	flat
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	valley
Slope	0%

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	very poor
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high
Estimated run off (class)	ponded

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline

You are here

Reference soil Greenland 02: Histosol

Characteristics

Reference soil GL002: Histosols

Classification