Reference soil New Zealand 02: Cambisol

NZ002

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 NZ002: Cambisols

LAND USE: pastoral land for intensive fat stock production (mainly fat lambs); some cash crops; well suited to intensive wheat farming

Classification

WRB 1998

Hyperdystric- Cambisol

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Silti-Dystric Cambisol

Dystric Cambisol

Local classification:	Strongly leached southern yellow-brown earth; Waikiwi silt loam

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Dystrudept
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Dystrochrept udic fine-silty mixed mesic

Profile description

O 0-1 cm	herbaceous fragments moderatelyhighly porous (>60 vol%),abrupt smooth boundary to,
Ah 1-22 cm	dark greyish brown (10YR 4/2, moist)silt loam,moderate fine and medium nutty subangular blocky,friable,moderately porous (40-60 vol%),many very fine and fine roots,very frequent worm channels,gradual wavy boundary to,
22-29 cm	silt loammoderate fine and medium nutty subangular blocky,friable,moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few very fine and fine roots,very frequent worm channels,clear smooth boundary to,
Bw 29-45 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, moist)silt loam,weak coarse subangular blocky parting to weak very fine and fine subangular blocky,friable,moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few very fine and fine roots,few small spherical soft manganiferous nodules,few worm channels,gradual smooth boundary to,
45-52 cm	light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2, moist)silt loam,very weak very fine and fine subangular blocky,firm,few medium mottles (7.5YR 6/8) and (5YR 5/8),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),gradual smooth boundary to,
C 52-100 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, moist)silt loam,massive to very weak fine subangular blocky,friable,few medium mottles (2.5YR 5/8),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few small spherical soft manganiferous nodules,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	graywacke
Kind 2 (parent material) (second entry); Parker (eds), 1984	schist
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material (second entry)	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	loess from tufaceous greywacke and schist
Soil Depth	51cm
Texture of parent material (second entry)	silty
Weathering Resistance	moderate
Weathering Resistance (second entry)	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	slightly
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock (second entry)	slightly

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	semi-natural grassland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: cocksfood and browntop
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	grassland

Altitude	65m
Physiographic Unit	smooth convex slope
Slope	7%
Slope Aspect	south
Form of the slope surrounding the site	convex

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-100cm
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 New Zealand 02: Cambisol

Characteristics

Reference soil NZ002: Cambisols

Classification