Reference soil Namibia 06: Cambisol

NA006

Cambisols occur mainly in the temperate and boreal regions of the world, where the soil’s parent material is still young or where low temperatures slow down the processes of soil formation.

Characteristics

Soils having either a cambic horizon (a horizon showing evidence of alteration with respect to the underlying material), or a mollic horizon overlying a subsoil, which has a base saturation of less than 50 percent in some part within 100 cm from the soil surface, or one of the following diagnostic horizons within the specified depth: an andic, vertic, or vitric horizon starting between 25 and 100 cm; a (petro-)plinthic or salic horizon starting between 50 and 100 cm, in absence of loamy sand or coarser textures above these horizons.

Distribution of Cambisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil NA006: Cambisols

Cambisol

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Fluvic- Cambisol (Calcaric Aridic Siltic)

Calcari-Fluvic- Cambisol

18-110 cm	cambic horizon
-	calcaric
-	fluvic

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Fluvi-Haplic Calcisol

Calcic Cambisol

0-18 cm	ochric A horizon
18-110 cm	cambic B horizon
-	soft powdery lime

0-18 cm	ochric A horizon
18-110 cm	cambic B horizon
-	soft powdery lime

Local classification:	Dunkelbrauner, tiefgründiger, kalkhaltiger Talboden (Scholz, 1962)

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Calcidic Haplustept
USDA-SCS (1975)	Calcidic Ustochrept ustic loamy mixed (calcareous) thermic

More images

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	-	1.5	2.4	3.9	19.0	20.0	46.8	8.6	24.0	32.6	20.6
20-40	2	1.3	3.3	5.9	20.3	17.5	48.3	18.3	16.2	34.5	17.2
40-60	4	2.1	2.7	5.4	20.5	17.2	47.9	10.3	24.4	34.7	17.4
60-80	-	1.4	2.7	4.7	20.6	17.3	46.7	9.8	25.8	35.6	17.7
80-100	-	1.8	4.3	4.8	19.3	18.6	48.8	8.5	20.5	29	22.2
100-110	-	1.9	2.7	4.2	19.8	19.4	48	11.2	26.3	37.5	14.4

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	-	-	-	-	20.6
20-40	-	-	-	-	17.2
40-60	-	-	-	-	17.4
60-80	-	-	-	-	17.7
80-100	-	-	-	-	22.2
100-110	-	-	-	-	14.4

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	8.0	7.2	0.26	28.4	1.69	0.08	21	-	-	23.8	3.2	0.7	0.1	27.8
20-40	8.2	7.3	0.28	28.1	1.18	0.06	20	-	-	23.8	3.5	0.4	0.1	27.8
40-60	8.3	7.4	0.22	29.8	0.81	0.04	20	-	-	22.8	3.2	0.4	0.1	26.5
60-80	7.8	7.4	0.14	28.0	0.72	0.04	18	-	-	23.3	3.5	0.4	0.1	27.3
80-100	8.3	7.4	0.30	29.3	0.62	0.04	16	-	-	23.3	3.6	0.4	0.1	27.4
100-110	8.4	7.5	0.30	30.1	0.62	0.03	21	-	-	22.8	3.5	0.4	0.1	26.8

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	184	15.1	73	5.9	-	-	1
20-40	179	15.5	90	4.1	-	-	1
40-60	202	13.1	75	2.8	-	-	1
60-80	190	14.4	81	2.5	-	-	1
80-100	190	14.4	65	2.2	-	-	1
100-110	202	13.3	92	2.2	-	-	1

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
0-20	-	-	-	-	-	0.50	-	-	-	-	-
20-40	-	-	-	-	-	0.50	-	-	-	-	-
40-60	-	-	-	-	-	0.48	-	-	-	-	-
60-80	-	-	-	-	-	0.48	-	-	-	-	-
80-100	-	-	-	-	-	0.43	-	-	-	-	-
100-110	-	-	-	-	-	0.36	-	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah 0-18 cm	(7.5YR 3.5/3, dry) dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)silt loam,moderate medium subangular blocky,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,extremely calcareous (>25%),clear smooth boundary to,
Bw 18-60 cm	(7.5YR 4/3, dry) (7.5YR 3/3, moist)silt loam,weak coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky,hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,frequent small irregular hard calcareous concretions and frequent powdery thread-like calcareous soft segregations,extremely calcareous (>25%),clear smooth boundary to,
BCk 60-110 cm	(7.5YR 4/3, dry) (7.5YR 3/3, moist)silt loam,weak coarse subangular blocky,hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,frequent small irregular hard calcareous concretions and frequent powdery thread-like calcareous soft segregations,extremely calcareous (>25%),

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	dolomite
Kind 2 (parent material) (second entry); Parker (eds), 1984	dolomite
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	fluvial
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material (second entry)	colluvial
Soil Depth	110cm
Texture of parent material	loamy
Texture of parent material (second entry)	loamy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
Weathering Resistance (second entry)	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock (second entry)	partially or moderately

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	present
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	wind

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	extensive grazing
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Open savannah with grasses and scattered trees (Accacia sp.); Thronbush Savannah
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	woodland

Altitude	1260m
Physiographic Unit	valley floor
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.	valley
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	0-110cm
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

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
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 Namibia 06: Cambisol

Characteristics

Reference soil NA006: Cambisols

Classification