Reference soil Kenya 62: Fluvisol

KE062

Fluvisols typically are young soils in alluvial, deltaic, lacustrine, or marine deposits, and occur all over the world.

Characteristics

Soils having fluvic soil material starting within 25 cm from the soil surface and continuing to a depth of at least 50 cm from the soil surface. They have no diagnostic horizons other than a histic, mollic, ochric, takyric, umbric, yermic, salic, or sulfuric horizon.

Distribution of Fluvisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil KE062: Fluvisols

Location:Garissa district, NE Province. Landuse: agricultural research station. The site was ploughed and bare. This soil is flooded less than once a year, because of the relatively high position of the site. Slides: 10,204 - 10,212.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Haplic- Fluvisol (Calcaric Arenic)

Calcaric- Fluvisol

-	fluvic
-	secondary carbonates

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Areni-Calcaric Fluvisol

Calcaric Fluvisol

0-25 cm	ochric A horizon
-	calcaric
-	fluvic

0-25 cm	ochric A horizon
-	soft powdery lime

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Torripsamment
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Torrifluvent aridic sandy 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
0-25	-	0.1	0.4	1.9	63.4	14.5	80.3	7.9	2.0	9.9	9.8
25-38	-	0.3	1.1	1.5	51.5	24.8	79.2	8.8	3.2	12	8.8
38-50	-	0.3	0.2	2.0	69.6	14.6	86.7	6.3	1.0	7.3	6.0
50-60	-	0.2	0.4	1.1	53.1	31.7	86.5	5.3	1.6	6.9	6.6
60-90	-	0.2	0.1	0.8	75.0	12.5	88.6	3.3	1.0	4.3	7.1
90-115	-	0.2	0.5	2.5	81.9	10.6	95.7	0.2	0.8	1	3.2
115-134	-	0.1	0.1	1.5	68.1	22.5	92.3	1.7	1.0	2.7	4.9
134-154	-	0.2	0.5	5.4	58.7	16.0	80.8	6.8	3.5	10.3	8.8

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-25	-	-	-	-	9.8
25-38	-	-	-	-	8.8
38-50	-	-	-	-	6.0
50-60	-	-	-	-	6.6
60-90	-	-	-	-	7.1
90-115	-	-	-	-	3.2
115-134	-	-	-	-	4.9
134-154	-	-	-	-	8.8

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
0-25	7.7	7.4	0.30	0.9	0.65	0.07	9	-	-	12.7	2.4	0.7	0.1	15.9
25-38	8.2	7.6	0.12	1.1	0.49	0.05	10	-	-	15.2	2.0	0.3	0.1	17.6
38-50	8.5	7.8	0.08	0.8	0.17	0.20	1	-	-	7.1	1.2	0.2	0.1	8.6
50-60	8.6	7.8	0.09	0.9	0.14	0.00	-	-	-	9.5	1.4	0.2	0.2	11.3
60-90	8.6	7.9	0.10	0.8	0.07	0.00	-	-	-	11.5	1.6	0.3	0.1	13.5
90-115	8.7	8.1	0.08	0.5	0.04	0.00	-	-	-	5.0	0.9	0.2	0.0	6.1
115-134	8.6	8.0	0.09	0.7	0.06	0.00	-	-	-	6.9	1.4	0.3	0.0	8.6
134-154	8.4	7.7	0.13	0.9	0.05	0.01	5	-	-	9.5	3.4	0.6	0.1	13.6

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 %
0-25	175	9.1	92	2.3	-	-	1
25-38	169	10.4	101	1.7	-	-	1
38-50	128	6.7	103	0.6	-	-	1
50-60	231	4.9	68	0.5	-	-	4
60-90	293	4.6	62	0.2	-	-	2
90-115	265	2.3	68	0.1	-	-	0
115-134	232	3.7	72	0.2	-	-	0
134-154	177	7.7	86	0.2	-	-	1

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-25	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	strong	-
38-50	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	strong	-
60-90	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	strong	-
115-134	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	strong	-

Profile description

Ap 0-25 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)sandy loam,weak medium subangular blocky,SP very friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine and few fine and medium pores,few very fine and few medium roots,comont fresh mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear wavy boundary to,
C1 25-38 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)loamy sand,massive,soft very friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine pores and few fine pores,common fresh mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear wavy boundary to,
C2 38-50 cm	pale brown (10YR 6/3, dry) dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)Description sand,massive parting to single grain,loose (dry and moist) non sticky non plastic,many very fine pores and few fine pores,common fresh mica and quartz fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear wavy boundary to,
C3 50-60 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)loamy sand,massive,hard very friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine and few fine and medium pores,few small thread-like soft calcareous soft segregations,common fresh mica, quartz fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear wavy boundary to,
C4 60-90 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)loamy sand,massive,slightly hard very friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine and few fine and medium pores,few small thread-like soft calcareous soft segregations,common fresh mica, quartz fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear wavy boundary to,
C5 90-115 cm	very pale brown (10YR 7/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)Description sand,massive parting to single grain,slightly hard very friable non sticky non plastic,few fine medium pores,common fresh mica, quartz fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear irregular boundary to,
C6 115-134 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)sandy loam,massive,hard friable non sticky non plastic,few fine medium pores,very few small thread-like soft calcareous soft segregations,common fresh mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear irregular boundary to,
C7 134-154 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)sandy clay loam,massive,hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,many very fine pores and few fine pores,few small thread-like soft calcareous soft segregations,common fresh mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear wavy boundary to,
C8 154-190 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6, moist)Description sand,massive parting to single grain,soft very friable non sticky non plastic,common fresh mica, quartz frequent and fine gravel fresh fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sediment, unconsolidated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	fluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	Holocene aluvium
Soil Depth	40cm
Texture of parent material	mixed
Texture of parent material (second entry)	mixed
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	slightly

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

Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	land clearing
Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	continuously irrigated
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	medium level arable farming
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Natural vegetation Acacia floodplain forest (gallery forest). LAND USE: Agricultural Research Station
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	continuous crop rotation

Altitude	135m
Physiographic Unit	levee
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.	floodplain
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	154cm
Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	somewhat excessive
Dry From - To	0-135cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	irregular
Nature of flood water	fresh
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	135-160cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	rapid
Upper limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	134cm

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)	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 Kenya 62: Fluvisol

Characteristics

Reference soil KE062: Fluvisols

Classification