Reference soil Kenya 55: Luvisol

KE055

Luvisols occur mainly in temperate regions, particularly in areas with a Mediterranean-type of climate.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon) with a cation exchange capacity equal to or more than 24 cmolc per kg clay throughout.

Distribution of Luvisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil KE055: Luvisols

90% bare ground. On the same soil millet is grown. Slides: 10,158 - 10,167.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Endoleptic-Cutanic- Luvisol (Hypereutric Clayic Chromic)

Chromi-Endoleptic- Luvisol (Cutanic)

6-60 cm	argic horizon
-	continuous rock

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Orthi-Chromic Luvisol

Chromic Luvisol

0-6 cm	ochric A horizon
6-60 cm	argic B horizon

0-6 cm	ochric A horizon
6-60 cm	argillic B horizon

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Haplustalf
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Ustropept ustic clayey isothermic

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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
0-6	7	8.4	14.9	23.3	27.8	9.5	83.9	3.7	1.7	5.4	10.8
6-16	4	6.1	9.3	16.5	22.0	7.6	61.5	4.2	3.7	7.9	30.5
16-42	9	7.7	7.9	10.2	11.9	5.5	43.2	3.6	3.1	6.7	50.2
42-60	28	10.6	9.6	11.1	12.8	4.3	48.4	3.5	4.4	7.9	43.7
60-120	4	5.0	21.5	27.4	19.9	5.8	79.6	1.5	4.1	5.6	14.8

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-6	-	-	-	5.6	10.8
6-16	-	-	-	11.3	30.5
16-42	-	-	-	13.9	50.2
42-60	-	-	-	14.8	43.7
60-120	-	-	-	6.1	14.8

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
0-6	7.1	6.2	0.09	0.4	0.57	0.07	8	-	-	4.4	1.3	0.4	0.2	6.3
6-16	7.1	5.9	0.06	0.6	0.56	0.07	8	-	-	7.5	2.0	0.6	0.0	10.1
16-42	6.8	5.3	0.05	0.6	0.38	0.06	6	-	-	9.5	3.0	0.4	0.1	13
42-60	6.7	5.2	0.05	0.7	0.17	0.00	-	-	-	8.8	3.3	0.2	0.0	12.3
60-120	7.0	5.6	0.04	0.5	0.11	0.02	6	-	-	4.4	1.6	0.1	0.1	6.2

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 %
0-6	124	5.1	29	2.0	-	-	4
6-16	94	10.8	29	2.0	-	-	0
16-42	91	14.3	26	1.3	-	-	1
42-60	95	12.9	28	0.6	-	-	0
60-120	103	6.0	38	0.4	-	-	2

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-6	-	-	-	very weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak to medium	-	-	weak	-
16-42	-	-	-	-	-	-	strong	weak to medium	-	-	very weak	-
42-60	-	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	-	weak	-
60-120	-	-	-	-	-	-	medium	weak	-	-	weak	-

Profile description

Ah 0-6 cm	(5YR 4/8, dry) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)sandy clay loam,weak fine and medium subangular blocky parting to granular,soft NF slightly sticky slightly plastic,many very fine pores and few fine pores,many very fine and few fine roots,many very fine few fine roots,few medium and coarse fresh quartz gravel,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear smooth boundary to,
6-16 cm	(5YR 4/5, dry) reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4, moist)sandy clay,moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky,slightly hard friable sticky plastic,many very fine pores and few fine pores,many very fine and few fine roots,slightly calcareous (0-2%),gradual smooth boundary to,
Bt1 16-42 cm	red (2.5YR 4/6, dry) reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4, moist)very gravelly clay,moderate coarse prismatic parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky,hard friable sticky plastic,broken thin clay cutans,many very fine pores and few fine pores,many very fine and few medium roots,very few stones fresh mica and quartz fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear irregular boundary to,
Bt2 42-60 cm	dark red (2.5YR 3/6, dry) weak red (10R 4/4, moist)clay,moderate medium and coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky,friable sticky plastic,broken thin clay cutans,many very fine pores and few fine pores,many very fine roots,common medium and coarse gravel fresh mica and quartz and many stones fresh biotite gneis,slightly calcareous (0-2%),abrupt irregular boundary to,
60-70 cm	strongly coherent rock structuredominant weathered biotite gneiss fragments,

Depth1	60cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	gneiss
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	Basement system, biotite gneiss
Soil Depth	60cm
Texture of parent material	clayey
Weathering Resistance	high
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	not apparent
Intensity of the soil erosion type	severe
Intensity of the soil erosion type (second entry)	moderate
Soil erosion type	sheet
Soil erosion type (second entry)	rill
Slope stability	stable

Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no land improvement
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	woodland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Commiphora-Acacia woodland; 90% bre ground. LAND USE: On the same soil millet is grown
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop rotation scheme not relevant
Status of vegetation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	degraded
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	deciduous woodland

Altitude	570m
Physiographic Unit	dissected erosional plain
Physiographic position of the site	upper slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plain
Slope	5%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	convex
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Lower limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	10cm
Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	excessive
Dry From - To	0-60cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	slow
Estimated run off (class)	medium
Upper limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	0cm

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Average size of stone	1
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	surface capped, crust on drying
Microrelief pattern	none
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	little rocky
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Shape of stones (on average)	angular irregular
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	fairly stony

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Reference soil Kenya 55: Luvisol

Characteristics

Reference soil KE055: Luvisols

Classification