Reference soil New Zealand 04: Cambisol

NZ004

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 NZ004: Cambisols

LAND USE: Dairying with semi-intensive sheep farming

Classification

WRB 1998

Hyperdystri-Stagnic- Cambisol

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Stagni-Dystric Cambisol

Dystric Cambisol

Local classification:	Moderately to strongly leached northern yellow-brown earth; Whangaripo clay

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Oxyaquic Dystrudept
USDA-SCS (1975)	Oxyaquic Dystrochrept udic clayey mixed mesic

Profile description

Ah 0-8 cm	very dark grey (10YR 3/1, moist)clay,moderate fine and medium nutty subangular blocky and moderate fine granular,friable,few pores,many roots,clear smooth boundary to,
8-20 cm	yellow (10YR 8/6, moist)clay,moderate fine and medium nutty subangular blocky,firm,many fine faint mottles (5YR 4/4) and many medium distinct mottles (5YR 4/4),few pores,very frequent worm channels,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bw1 20-46 cm	light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4, moist)clay,moderate medium and coarse nutty subangular blocky parting to moderate fine nutty subangular blocky,firm,many fine faint mottles (5YR 4/4) and few medium distinct mottles (5YR 4/4),patchy clay on pedfaces cutans,few pores,common roots,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bw2 46-92 cm	brownish yellow (10YR 6/8, moist)clay,strong medium and coarse nutty subangular blocky parting to strong very fine and fine nutty subangular blocky,firm,many fine faint mottles (5YR 5/8) and few medium distinct mottles (5YR 5/8),patchy clay on pedfaces cutans,few pores,many roots,clear irregular boundary to,
92-123 cm	yellow (10YR 7/6, moist)clay,weak fine and medium nutty subangular blocky and weak very fine nutty subangular blocky,friable,many mottles (2.5YR 5/6) and many mottles (5YR 5/5),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),common strongly weathered sandstone fragments,clear irregular boundary to,
C 123-150 cm	light red (2.5YR 6/6, moist)massive,many fine mottles (10YR 8/4) and many coarse mottles (10YR 8/6),abundant weathered sandstone fragments,

Depth1	120cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sandstone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	banded sandstone of Waitemata beds, deeply weathered and red weathered
Soil Depth	120cm
Texture of parent material (second entry)	clayey
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	dairying
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: originally broadleaved-podocarp forest with kauri. Vegetation at site: tall bracken fern
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	grassland

Altitude	45m
Physiographic Unit	slope
Physiographic position of the site	lower slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	hill
Slope	30%
Slope Aspect	north-west
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	hilly

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	imperfect
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-120cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	rapid

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
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline

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Reference soil New Zealand 04: Cambisol

Characteristics

Reference soil NZ004: Cambisols

Classification