Reference soil Mali 01: Lixisol

ML001

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 ML001: Lixisols

See also unit PL11 in 'Mali land and water resources' 1983,PIRT, mapscale 1:500 000. Termite mounds are present, height about 50cm. Smooth soil surface is indicative for superficial run-off. Consistency when dry at a depth of 28cm and deeper will be probably hard when dry. Oval termite nests with a diameter of 2 to 5cm are present in the soil profile from 0 to 150cm. Greatest depth of the watertable will be probably more than 500cm. Effective soil depth depends on the depth of the watertable. Windspeed is recorded at a height of 10 meter. Monthly precipitation records of the period 1922-1985, as well as max /min relative humidity data are available in the file. *Sols ferrugineux lessives a concretions. FAO classification: ferric Acrisol or dystric Nitosol. Deep augering from 155-500cm: texture stays more or less the same,4 horizons can be distinguished based on quantity and colour of dominant mottling, brownish 160-225cm, blackish 225-275, reddish 275-375, light gray 375-500cm. Also low level arable farming is present in the same physiographic unit; main crop is sorghum.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Cutanic- Lixisol (Siltic)

Haplic- Lixisol

6-141 cm

argic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Orthi-Haplic Lixisol

Ferric Luvisol

0-6 cm	ochric A horizon
6-141 cm	argic B horizon

0-6 cm	ochric A horizon
6-141 cm	argillic B horizon
-	ferric

Local classification:	Sol ferrugineux

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Haplustult ustic clayey 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
0-6	-	1.8	1.5	2.2	4.8	8.6	18.9	42.5	16.0	58.5	22.6
6-28	-	1.6	1.5	1.1	2.1	4.3	10.6	27.3	19.0	46.3	43.1
28-50	-	1.7	1.3	0.8	1.5	3.9	9.2	27.6	21.6	49.2	41.6
50-100	-	0.7	0.8	0.6	1.2	3.0	6.3	28.5	23.4	51.9	41.8
100-141	-	0.4	0.7	0.8	1.8	4.2	7.9	25.7	25.2	50.9	41.2
141-160	-	1.1	1.4	2.1	3.7	5.3	13.6	26.4	23.6	50	36.5
160-225	-	1.4	1.4	2.5	5.0	7.0	17.3	28.4	20.8	49.2	33.6
225-275	-	7.2	5.5	3.3	4.6	6.1	26.7	23.6	17.6	41.2	32.1
275-375	-	2.4	2.7	2.7	4.5	7.2	19.5	26.9	19.0	45.9	34.6
375-500	-	0.3	0.3	1.3	7.4	14.8	24.1	27.3	13.4	40.7	35.2

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
1-6	1.42	-	-	-	-
0-6	-	-	-	9.1	22.6
6-28	-	-	-	16.2	43.1
30-35	1.40	-	-	-	-
28-50	-	-	-	10.2	41.6
100-105	1.45	-	-	-	-
50-100	-	-	-	12.5	41.8
100-141	-	-	-	18.2	41.2
141-160	-	-	-	19.5	36.5
160-225	-	-	-	19.2	33.6
225-275	-	-	-	17.7	32.1
275-375	-	-	-	17.6	34.6
375-500	-	-	-	21.7	35.2

Other physical data

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	pF 0 % v/v	pF 1.0 % v/v	pF 1.5 % v/v	pF 2.0 % v/v	pF 2.3 % v/v	pF 2.7 % v/v	pF 3.4 % v/v	pF 4.2 % v/v
1-6	1.42	42.6	41.0	37.3	32.0	29.8	24.0	13.2	11.8
30-35	1.40	47.5	46.8	40.6	35.6	34.2	30.4	20.7	20.2
100-105	1.45	44.7	43.8	39.9	35.8	34.7	31.7	25.5	22.8

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	6.2	4.9	0.04	-	0.94	0.07	13	0.0	0.0	2.6	2.1	0.4	0.0	5.1
6-28	5.7	4.0	0.02	-	0.64	0.04	16	1.1	1.1	2.1	2.4	0.4	0.0	4.9
28-50	5.6	4.2	0.03	-	0.23	0.03	8	0.5	0.5	2.5	2.9	0.5	0.0	5.9
50-100	5.7	4.4	0.03	-	0.16	-	-	0.2	0.0	3.1	3.5	0.6	0.0	7.2
100-141	6.3	4.7	0.03	-	0.11	-	-	0.1	0.0	4.3	3.9	0.5	0.0	8.7
141-160	6.4	4.6	0.02	-	0.06	-	-	0.1	0.0	4.1	3.4	0.4	0.0	7.9
160-225	6.2	4.4	0.02	-	0.06	-	-	0.1	0.0	3.1	2.9	0.2	0.0	6.2
225-275	6.2	4.5	0.02	-	0.03	-	-	0.0	0.0	2.9	2.6	0.2	0.0	5.7
275-375	6.0	4.3	0.02	-	0.03	-	-	0.1	0.0	2.6	2.7	0.1	0.0	5.4
375-500	6.1	4.4	0.03	-	0.03	-	-	0.0	0.0	4.1	4.0	0.1	0.0	8.2

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	86	5.9	26	3.3	-	0	0
6-28	61	8	19	2.2	-	14	0
28-50	69	8.6	21	0.8	-	6	0
50-100	79	9.1	22	0.6	-	0	0
100-141	87	10.0	24	0.4	-	0	0
141-160	86	9.2	25	0.2	-	0	0
160-225	84	7.4	22	0.2	-	0	0
225-275	76	7.5	23	0.1	-	0	0
275-375	78	6.9	20	0.1	-	0	0
375-500	95	8.6	24	0.1	-	0	0

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
0-6	-	-	-	0.1	0.1	2.3	0.2	-	-	-	0.0
6-28	-	-	-	0.2	0.0	3.8	0.4	-	-	-	0.1
28-50	-	-	-	0.1	0.2	3.7	0.4	-	-	-	0.1
50-100	-	-	-	0.1	0.1	3.8	0.4	-	-	-	0.1
100-141	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	3.7	0.3	-	-	-	0.1
141-160	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	3.3	0.2	-	-	-	0.1
160-225	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	2.5	0.2	-	-	-	0.1
225-275	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	4.8	0.3	-	-	-	0.1
275-375	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	3.8	0.3	-	-	-	0.1
375-500	-	-	-	0.1	0.0	3.1	0.2	-	-	-	0.1

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-6	-	-	-	weak	-	-	strong to very strong	very weak to weak	weak	-	-	-
6-28	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	-	strong to very strong	very weak to weak	weak	-	-	-
28-50	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	-	strong to very strong	very weak	weak to medium	-	-	-
50-100	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	-	strong to very strong	-	weak to medium	-	-	-
100-141	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	-	strong to very strong	-	weak to medium	-	-	-
141-160	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	-	weak to medium	-	-	-
160-225	-	-	-	weak	-	-	very strong	very weak to weak	weak	-	-	-
225-275	-	-	-	weak	-	-	strong to very strong	very weak to weak	weak	-	-	-
275-375	-	-	-	weak	-	-	strong to very strong	very weak to weak	weak	-	-	-
375-500	-	-	-	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	very weak to weak	weak to medium	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah 0-6 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)loam,weak fine and medium platy,soft slightly sticky non plastic,few medium tubular pores,non calcareous,clear smooth boundary to,
BA 6-28 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/6, moist)silty clay loam,moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky,slightly hard slightly sticky slightly plastic,many very fine pores,frequent termite channels,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bt1 28-50 cm	(7.5YR 5/7, moist)silty clay,moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky,hard (dry) friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,broken moderately thick clay cutans on pedfaces,many very fine pores,frequent termite channels,non calcareous,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bt2 50-100 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/6, moist)silty clay,moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky,hard (dry) friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,few (2-5%) medium faint mottles between peds,patchy moderately thick clay cutans on pedfaces,common very fine pores,frequent termite channels,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
BCg 100-141 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, moist)silty clay,moderate to strong fine angular blocky,hard (dry) firm slightly sticky slightly plastic,clear boundary of many (15-40%) fine distinct mottles (5 YR 5/4) and sharp boundary to common (5-15%) medium prominent mottles,few fine pores,few termite channels,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,
Cg 141-155 cm	light brownish grey (10YR 6/2, moist)silty clay,strong medium and coarse angular blocky,hard (dry) firm sticky plastic,sharp boundary of many (15-40%) coarse prominent mottles (5 YR 4/6) and sharp boundary to common (5-15%) medium prominent mottles,few fine pores,non calcareous,gradual smooth boundary to,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sediment, unconsolidated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	fluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	terrace of Niger
Soil Depth	140cm
Texture of parent material	clayey

Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	(semi-)natural vegetation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LAND USE: Low level arable farming is present in the same physiographic unit; main crop is sorghum
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	deciduous woodland

Altitude	350m
Physiographic Unit	terrace
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.	alluvial terrace
Slope	0%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-28cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
(Estimated) maximum (lower) depth to groundwater table	500cm
Depth to groundwater table	230cm
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	groundwater table observed
(Estimated) minimum (upper) depth to groundwater table	140cm
Moist From - To	28-250cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	medium
Wet From To	250-500cm

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	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 Mali 01: Lixisol

Characteristics

Reference soil ML001: Lixisols

Classification