Reference soil Kenya 68: Luvisol

KE068

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 KE068: Luvisols

Fauna: scorpions in the topsoil. At 80cm lies a stoneline. Slides: 10,238 - 10,241.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Cutanic- Luvisol (Manganiferric Hypereutric Clayic Chromic)

Chromi-Hyperferric- Luvisol (Cutanic)

20-75 cm	argic horizon
75-140 cm	ferric horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Chromi-Ferric Luvisol

Plinthic Luvisol

0-20 cm	ochric A horizon
20-75 cm	argic B horizon
-	ferric

0-20 cm	ochric A horizon
20-75 cm	argillic B horizon

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Rhodustalf
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Plinthustalf 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
0-20	0	4.5	10.3	15.5	18.9	6.5	55.7	5.7	6.0	11.7	32.6
20-40	0	5.3	8.7	12.1	15.2	3.6	44.9	4.6	9.5	14.1	41.1
40-75	0	3.8	5.9	9.5	11.9	4.4	35.5	3.5	7.3	10.8	53.5
75-110	66	12.6	8.5	8.4	10.4	3.9	43.8	3.0	12.1	15.1	41.1
110-140	47	12.3	16.2	13.8	12.4	5.3	60	7.1	8.8	15.9	24.1

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-20	-	-	-	7.5	32.6
20-40	-	-	-	9.5	41.1
40-75	-	-	-	9.0	53.5
75-110	-	-	-	10.5	41.1
110-140	-	-	-	10.5	24.1

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
0-20	6.7	5.6	0.09	0.6	1.28	0.11	12	-	-	8.9	3.0	1.5	0.1	13.5
20-40	6.2	4.9	0.05	0.8	0.73	0.07	10	-	-	10.8	4.0	1.0	0.1	15.9
40-75	6.3	4.9	0.05	0.8	0.53	0.06	9	-	-	9.2	4.2	0.3	0.1	13.8
75-110	6.6	5.1	0.05	0.8	0.45	0.06	8	-	-	8.8	3.8	0.3	0.3	13.2
110-140	7.2	5.5	0.05	1.0	0.13	0.03	4	-	-	10.7	4.4	0.3	0.3	15.7

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 %
0-20	91	14.9	33	4.5	-	-	1
20-40	85	18.7	40	2.6	-	-	1
40-75	84	16.4	27	1.9	-	-	1
75-110	92	14.3	31	1.6	-	-	2
110-140	98	16.1	66	0.5	-	-	2

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-20	-	very weak	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak	-	-	very weak	-
40-75	-	very weak	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak	-	-	very weak	-
110-140	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak	-	-	weak to medium	-

Profile description

Ah 0-20 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3, dry) dark reddish brown (2.5YR 2.5/4, moist)sandy clay,moderate fine and medium subangular blocky,slightly hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,many very fine pores and common fine pores,many very fine and common fine roots,few fine gravel fresh quartz and very few medium gravel fresh fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),gradual irregular boundary to,
Bt1 20-40 cm	dusky red (2.5YR 3/2, dry) dark reddish brown (2.5YR 2.5/4, moist)clay,moderate coarse prismatic moderate, medium and coarse subangular blocky,hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,broken thin clay cutans,many very fine and few fine and medium pores,many very fine and few fine roots,very few medium gravel fresh quartz and few fine gravel fresh fragments,frequent termite channels,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bt2 40-75 cm	red (2.5YR 4/6, dry) dusky red (10R 3/4, moist)clay,strong very coarse prismatic moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky,hard very friable sticky plastic,continuous thin clay cutans,many very fine and few fine and medium pores,many very fine and few fine roots,few fine gravel fresh quartz and mica and very few fine gravel fresh fragments,frequent termite channels,non calcareous,abrupt irregular boundary to,
CBoc1 75-110 cm	dark red (10R 3/6, dry) dark red (7.5R 3/6, moist)very gravelly clay,weakly coherent massive parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky,hard friable sticky plastic,continuous thin clay cutans,many very fine and few fine and medium pores,many very fine and few fine roots,few small spherical soft to large manganiferous concretions,common medium gravel fresh quartz and mica and very few fresh fine gravel fragments,frequent termite channels,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear irregular boundary to,
CBoc2 110-140 cm	dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4, moist)very gravelly clay,massive parting to subangular blocky,hard friable sticky plastic,many medium and large spherical soft manganiferous concretions,few coarse weathered gravel gneiss and many weathered medium gravel fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear irregular boundary to,
R 140-150 cm	dominant gneiss fragmentsnon calcareous,

Depth1	140cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	gneiss
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	biotite gneiss of Basement System
Soil Depth	90cm
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)	present
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Intensity of the soil erosion type (second entry)	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet
Soil erosion type (second entry)	rill
Slope stability	stable

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	semi-natural grassland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Locally wooded grassland
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	1670m
Physiographic Unit	low level uplands
Physiographic position of the site	middle slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	low hill
Slope	4%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-110cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
(Estimated) maximum (lower) depth to groundwater table	150cm
Depth to groundwater table	150cm
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	perched
(Estimated) minimum (upper) depth to groundwater table	70cm
Moist From - To	110-150cm
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	150cm

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 Height: variation in height	50
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 68: Luvisol

Characteristics

Reference soil KE068: Luvisols

Classification