Reference soil Kenya 59: Lixisol

KE059

Lixisols occur dominantly in the drier parts of the tropics and subtropics. Their high base status is partly due to less leaching, partly to admixture from airborne dust from adjacent desert regions.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation exchange capacity of less than 24 cmolc per kg in some part, either starting within either: 100 cm from the soil surface, or 200 cm from the soil surface if the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand or coarser textures throughout. They have a base saturation (total amount of Ca, Mg, K and Na with respect to the cation exchange capacity) of 50 percent or more in the major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Lixisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil KE059: Lixisols

A high termite activity. Slides: 10,191 - 10,194.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Cutanic- Lixisol (Hypereutric Rhodic)

Rhodic- Lixisol

30-110 cm

argic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Rhodi-Haplic Lixisol

Ferric Luvisol

0-30 cm	ochric A horizon
30-110 cm	argic B horizon
-	ferralic

0-30 cm	ochric A horizon
30-110 cm	argillic B horizon
-	ferric

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Haplargid
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Haplargid aridic fine-loamy isohyperthermic

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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
0-2	-	14.0	28.5	19.7	10.6	3.8	76.6	3.5	3.7	7.2	16.3
2-30	-	11.9	19.3	18.4	13.3	4.3	67.2	2.6	2.6	5.2	27.6
30-55	-	12.7	16.5	15.9	11.4	3.9	60.4	2.4	2.4	4.8	34.7
55-80	-	11.2	14.0	13.8	11.0	4.2	54.2	3.4	2.9	6.3	39.5
80-110	-	9.5	11.3	13.0	11.6	4.9	50.3	3.8	6.9	10.7	39.0

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-2	-	-	-	4.7	16.3
2-30	-	-	-	7.2	27.6
30-55	-	-	-	3.1	34.7
55-80	-	-	-	4.3	39.5
80-110	-	-	-	-	39.0

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
0-2	7.5	7.4	0.11	0.5	0.63	0.06	11	-	-	8.1	1.6	0.6	0.0	10.3
2-30	5.9	5.2	0.07	-	0.22	0.03	7	-	-	2.3	1.1	0.8	0.0	4.2
30-55	4.9	4.6	0.08	-	0.12	0.03	4	0.3	0.0	2.1	1.1	0.8	0.0	4
55-80	4.2	3.8	0.05	-	0.13	0.03	4	0.8	0.7	1.2	1.3	0.8	0.0	3.3
80-110	4.5	3.9	0.04	-	0.10	0.03	3	0.4	0.2	2.5	1.6	0.7	0.0	4.8
110-120	5.7	4.7	0.05	-	0.08	0.02	4	-	-	6.0	3.0	0.8	0.5	10.3
120-150	5.9	4.4	0.03	-	0.10	0.02	5	-	-	6.0	3.0	0.9	0.5	10.4

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 %
0-2	202	5.1	18	2.2	-	-	0
2-30	100	4.2	12	0.8	-	-	0
30-55	89	4.5	12	0.4	-	0	0
55-80	79	4.2	10	0.5	-	17	0
80-110	76	6.3	15	0.4	-	3	0
110-120	91	11.3	94	0.3	-	-	4
120-150	92	11.3	189	0.4	-	-	4

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
0-2	-	-	-	0.0	0.0	0.8	0.0	-	-	-	0.1
2-30	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	1.3	0.0	-	-	-	0.1
30-55	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	1.8	0.1	-	-	-	0.1
55-80	-	-	-	0.0	0.0	1.8	0.1	-	-	-	0.1
80-110	-	-	-	0.0	0.0	2.1	0.1	-	-	-	0.1
110-120	-	-	-	0.0	0.0	2.0	0.1	-	-	-	0.1

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-2	-	-	-	weak	-	-	weak to medium	weak	-	weak	-	-
2-30	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	weak	-	-
30-55	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	weak	-	-
55-80	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	weak	-	-
80-110	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	weak	-	-
110-120	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	weak	-	weak	-	-

Profile description

Ah1 0-2 cm	red (2.5YR 4/6, dry) dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4, moist)sandy loam,weakly coherent porous massive parting to single grain,loose (dry and moist) non sticky non plastic,many fine gravel fresh quartz fragments,non calcareous,clear smooth boundary to,
Ah2 2-30 cm	dark red (2.5YR 3/6, dry) dark red (2.5YR 3/6, moist)sandy clay loam,weak to moderate medium subangular blocky parting to crumb,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,many very fine and few fine and medium pores,many very fine roots,common fine gravel fresh quartz fragments,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
B 30-80 cm	red (2.5YR 4/8, dry) dark red (10R 3/6, moist)silty clay loam,weak to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky parting to granular,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,broken thin clay cutans,many very fine and few fine pores,common very fine roots,common fine gravel fresh quartz fragments,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bt 80-110 cm	red (2.5YR 4/8, dry) dark red (10R 3/6, moist)sandy clay,moderate medium angular blocky,hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,continuous moderately thick clay cutans,many very fine and few fine pores,common very fine roots,common fine gravel fresh quartz fragments,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
BC1 110-120 cm	red (2.5YR 4/8, dry) dark red (10R 3/6, moist)loamy sand,weakly coherent porous massive parting to single grain,loose (dry and moist) slightly sticky slightly plastic,many gravel fresh quartz fragments,non calcareous,abrupt irregular boundary to,
BC2 120-150 cm	dark red (2.5YR 3/6, dry) dusky red (10R 3/4, moist)gravelly sandy loam,strongly coherent porous massive,hard firm slightly sticky slightly plastic,continuous thick clay and sesquioxide cutans,many fine and medium fresh gravel fragments,non calcareous,

Depth1	120cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	gneiss
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	eolian mixed / undifferentiated
Remarks on Parent Materials	sheetwash & eolian deposits
Soil Depth	90cm
Texture of parent material	loamy
Texture of parent material (second entry)	sandy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	absent
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet
Slope stability	stable

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	(semi-)natural vegetation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Shrubbed woodland, browsed by camels
Status of vegetation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	cut over
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	deciduous woodland

Altitude	380m
Physiographic Unit	sedimentary "red sand" plain
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.	plain
Slope	0%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Lower limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	1cm
Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-120cm
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	moderate
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
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	surface slaked; sorted sand/silt, some clay films
Microrelief Height: variation in height	80
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	termite/ant mounds
Microrelief pattern	isolated
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 Kenya 59: Lixisol

Characteristics

Reference soil KE059: Lixisols

Classification