Reference soil Nicaragua 06: Andosol

NI006

Andosols occur throughout the world where volcanic activity is common, especially in the circum-Pacific region and along the mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Characteristics

Soils with a vitric or andic horizon (slightly to moderately weathered horizons in pyroclastic deposits dominated by short-range-order minerals, notably allophane and imogolite) starting within 25 cm from the soil surface. In addition, they may have a histic, fulvic, melanic, mollic, umbric, ochric, duric, or cambic horizon. Other diagnostic horizons (unless buried deeper than 50 cm by volcanic deposits) are absent.

Distribution of Andosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil NI006: Andosols

Deep, well drained, black to dark brown loamy to sandy loam soil developed from volcanic ejecta, derived from unconsolidated pyroclastic materials (ash, lapilli). The soil contains few manganiferous concretions, is friable, moderately structured and highly porous and permeable. A recent profile (A-Bw-C) is found upon a buried profile (2Ab-2Bb-R) derived from older pyroclastic materials. The profile forms part of the NIC05 to NIC09 toposequence.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Mollic-Vitric- Andosol

Molli-Vitric- Andosol

0-55 cm	mollic horizon
-	vitric

0-55 cm	mollic horizon
0-78 cm	vitric horizon
33-55 cm	cambic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Molli-Vitric Andosol

Mollic Andosol

0-55 cm	mollic A horizon
33-55 cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	mollic A horizon
-	andic

0-55 cm	mollic A horizon
33-55 cm	cambic B horizon
-	exchange complex dominated by amorphous material

Local classification:	Nindiri Series

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Haplustand
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Eutrandept ustic loamy halloysitic 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
0-12	-	3.6	6.2	9.8	18.0	7.2	44.8	22.6	15.0	37.6	17.6
12-33	-	2.6	5.2	11.1	19.9	10.3	49.1	13.7	22.2	35.9	15.1
33-55	-	2.5	6.2	10.2	18.3	7.0	44.2	16.2	23.4	39.6	16.2
55-78	-	12.1	10.6	9.6	15.6	8.4	56.3	13.7	19.2	32.9	11.0
78-104	-	2.3	2.4	4.4	11.6	5.2	25.9	11.4	34.0	45.4	28.7
104-115	-	0.4	0.8	2.4	7.5	7.5	18.6	11.4	43.0	54.4	27.0

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-12	-	-	-	9.5	17.6
12-33	0.815	-	-	7.3	15.1
33-55	0.694	-	-	8.4	16.2
55-78	0.698	-	-	5.4	11.0
78-104	-	-	-	13.0	28.7
104-115	-	-	-	14.3	27.0

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
12-33	0.815	64.1	60.3	58.2	45.7	40.9	38.3	28.0	27.5
33-55	0.694	67.9	64.5	62.1	49.6	43.1	39.5	36.2	32.1
55-78	0.698	61.2	56.2	52.8	43.5	39.5	36.8	27.9	25.6

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
0-12	6.8	5.5	0.06	2.2	2.18	0.19	11	-	-	27.3	7.5	3.0	0.3	38.1
12-33	6.8	5.4	0.06	2.1	2.47	0.22	11	-	-	23.5	6.2	4.0	0.2	33.9
33-55	6.8	5.5	0.06	2.3	2.26	0.19	12	-	-	24.1	6.4	5.4	0.2	36.1
55-78	7.2	5.7	0.05	2.2	0.89	0.08	11	-	-	29.6	7.6	0.8	0.6	38.6
78-104	7.4	5.9	0.06	3.2	1.31	0.09	15	-	-	40.9	18.1	0.2	0.9	60.1
104-115	7.4	5.9	0.06	3.8	2.25	0.16	14	-	-	49.6	38.6	0.1	0.9	89.2

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 %
0-12	89	42.6	242	7.6	-	-	1
12-33	90	37.5	248	8.6	-	-	1
33-55	90	39.9	246	7.9	-	-	1
55-78	98	39.3	357	3.1	-	-	2
78-104	104	58.0	202	4.6	-	-	2
104-115	153	58.3	216	7.9	-	-	2

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
0-12	9.3	61	-	1.31	0.79	-	-	-	-	-	3.45
12-33	9.2	56	-	1.18	0.73	-	-	-	-	-	3.32
33-55	9.3	64	-	1.43	0.93	-	-	-	-	-	3.84
55-78	9.4	66	-	1.40	0.84	-	-	-	-	-	4.34
78-104	9.5	77	-	1.50	1.07	-	-	-	-	-	4.05
104-115	9.9	90	-	3.07	1.88	-	-	-	-	-	5.50

Depth (cm)	CaSO4.2H2O %	P Bray mg/kg	P Olsen mg/kg	pH CaCl2	clay_noncarbonate % w/w	clay_carbonate % w/w	phosphorus4 mg/kg	phosphorus1 mg/kg	total_sulfur % w/w
0-12	-	-	7.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
12-33	-	-	10.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
33-55	-	-	3.4	-	-	-	-	-	-
55-78	-	-	0.9	-	-	-	-	-	-
78-104	-	-	0.5	-	-	-	-	-	-
104-115	-	-	0.3	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-12	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12-33	-	-	-	-	weak	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
33-55	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
55-78	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
78-104	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
104-115	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah1 0-12 cm	black (10YR 2/1, moist)loam,moderate medium granular,friable,few medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 4/4),many fine continuous inped random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few spherical manganiferous concretions,clear smooth boundary to,
Ah2 12-33 cm	black (10YR 2/1, moist)loam,moderate medium granular,friable,few fine continuous inped random pores and few continuous inped random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few irregular hard manganiferous concretions,clear smooth boundary to,
B 33-55 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)loam,moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky,friable,few fine continuous inped random pores and few continuous inped random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few irregular hard manganiferous concretions,few termite channels,abrupt smooth boundary to,
C 55-78 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/4, moist)sandy loam,weak medium angular blocky,loose,many fine continuous inped pores and many continuous inped pores,frequent irregular hard manganiferous,frequent fine gravel fresh pyroclastic fragments,clear wavy boundary to,
2Ab 78-104 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/4, moist)clay loam,moderate coarse angular blocky,friable,many fine continuous inped pores and many continuous inped pores,few irregular manganiferous concretions,frequent mycelium and termite channels,clear wavy boundary to,
2Bb 104-115 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)silty clay loam,moderate coarse angular blocky,firm,many coarse pores and many pores,few spherical manganiferous concretions,abrupt wavy boundary to,

Depth1	78cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	pyroclastic, unconsolidated
Kind 2 (parent material) (second entry); Parker (eds), 1984	pyroclastic, unconsolidated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	ejecta ash
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material (second entry)	ejecta ash
Soil Depth	115cm
Texture of parent material	loamy
Texture of parent material (second entry)	loamy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
Weathering Resistance (second entry)	poor
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)	absent
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet
Slope stability	stable

Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no irrigation
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	cultivated pasture
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: In the past used for maize and root crop
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop - grass rotation, lay

Altitude	190m
Physiographic Unit	Pacific Volcanic Cordillera
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.	piedmont
Slope	2%
Slope Aspect	north-north-east
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Lower limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	0cm
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	0-115cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	very slow
Upper limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	115cm

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
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	level
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 Nicaragua 06: Andosol

Characteristics

Reference soil NI006: Andosols

Classification