Reference soil Nicaragua 08: Andosol

NI008

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 NI008: Andosols

Deep, well drained, (dark) reddish brown clay to silty clay soil developed from alluvium, derived from consolidated pyroclastic materials. The soil contains few pyroclastic fragments, is friable, strongly to moderately structured, moderately to slowly permeable and moderately porous. This well developed soil shows differentiation in color and texture (illuvial Bt horizon). The profile forms part of the NIC05 to NIC09 toposequence. NIC08 ("red soils") and NIC09 ("black soils") are both found at short distances in an irregular pattern, in consequence of differences in drainage conditions (well c.q. imperfectly drained).

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Mollic-Vitric- Andosol (Clayic)

Molli-Vitric- Andosol

0-33 cm	mollic horizon
33-75 cm	cambic horizon
-	vertic
-	vitric

0-116 cm	vitric horizon
0-33 cm	mollic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Andi-Haplic Phaeozem

Haplic Phaeozem

0-33 cm	mollic A horizon
15-75 cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	argic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon

0-33 cm	mollic A horizon
15-75 cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	argillic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Rhodustalf
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Rhodustalf ustic fine mixed 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
0-15	-	1.1	1.2	1.2	2.1	1.5	7.1	5.5	28.0	33.5	59.4
15-33	-	1.1	1.0	0.8	1.4	1.4	5.7	4.0	29.7	33.7	60.5
33-52	-	0.2	0.3	0.5	1.2	0.8	3	4.8	24.0	28.8	68.2
52-75	-	0.7	1.0	1.5	3.6	3.2	10	11.6	37.1	48.7	41.4
75-116	-	1.5	1.7	2.6	8.4	5.7	19.9	15.3	40.2	55.5	24.5

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-15	-	-	-	35.7	59.4
15-33	0.965	-	-	34.3	60.5
33-52	0.989	-	-	34.8	68.2
52-75	0.967	-	-	19.8	41.4
75-116	-	-	-	11.7	24.5

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
15-33	0.965	57.3	48.3	46.6	42.6	40.4	38.1	34.0	29.7
33-52	0.989	59.0	50.6	48.6	44.1	42.5	40.7	39.4	36.9
52-75	0.967	57.6	55.1	53.3	49.8	47.8	45.2	42.2	39.0

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
0-15	6.4	4.9	0.06	-	2.98	0.24	12	-	-	25.3	20.6	3.0	0.1	49.0
15-33	6.4	4.8	0.04	-	2.21	0.20	11	-	-	26.1	21.2	1.0	0.2	48.5
33-52	6.3	4.6	0.05	-	1.36	0.14	10	-	-	23.0	22.5	0.5	0.2	46.2
52-75	6.0	4.2	0.05	-	0.88	0.09	10	-	-	18.8	17.0	0.2	0.2	36.2
75-116	6.1	4.1	0.03	-	0.62	0.06	10	-	-	18.9	18.4	0.4	0.3	38.0

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 %
0-15	111	44.0	74	10.4	-	-	0
15-33	114	42.7	71	7.7	-	-	0
33-52	97	47.6	70	4.8	-	-	0
52-75	87	41.8	101	3.1	-	-	0
75-116	86	44.2	180	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
0-15	-	-	-	0.58	0.32	-	-	-	-	-	1.02
15-33	-	-	-	0.55	0.30	-	-	-	-	-	1.12
33-52	-	-	-	0.58	0.19	-	-	-	-	-	1.11
52-75	-	-	-	0.66	0.20	-	-	-	-	-	1.39
75-116	-	-	-	0.62	0.21	-	-	-	-	-	1.39

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
0-15	-	-	4.9	-	-	-	-	-	-
15-33	-	-	1.6	-	-	-	-	-	-
33-52	-	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-
52-75	-	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-
75-116	-	-	0.0	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-15	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-
15-33	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-
33-52	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-
52-75	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-
75-116	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-

Profile description

Ah 0-15 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2, moist)clay,strong fine and medium granular and moderate fine and medium subangular blocky,firm,common medium continuous tubular random pores and common tubular random pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few fine gravel weathered pyroclastic fragments,clear smooth boundary to,
15-33 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2, moist)clay,strong medium subangular blocky to strong medium and coarse prismatic,firm,common fine continuous random pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),very few small spherical soft manganiferous concretions,few fine gravel weathered pyroclastic fragments,abrupt wavy boundary to,
Bt 33-52 cm	reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4, moist)clay,moderate medium subangular blocky to moderate medium and coarse prismatic,friable,common fine continuous tubular random pores,very few small spherical soft manganiferous concretions,frequent medium gravel weathered pyroclastic fragments,few krotovinas,clear wavy boundary to,
52-75 cm	(5YR 4/5, moist)silty clay,moderate medium wedge-shaped angular blocky,friable,common fine continuous tubular random pores,frequent medium gravel weathered pyroclastic fragments,abrupt wavy boundary to,
C 75-116 cm	(10YR 3.5/6, moist)silt loam,weak to moderate medium wedge-shaped angular blocky,friable,common very fine continuous tubular random pores,very few medium gravel weathered pyroclastic fragments,abrupt smooth boundary to,
C 75-116 cm	light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4, moist)

Depth1	116cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	pyroclastic, consolidated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	fluvial
Soil Depth	116cm
Texture of parent material	silty
Texture of parent material (second entry)	silty
Weathering Resistance	poor
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	slightly

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	absent
Slope stability	stable

Major crops	sugar cane
Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	seasonally irrigated
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	high level arable farming
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	monoculture

Altitude	80m
Physiographic Unit	Nicaragua Depression
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.	plain
Slope	0%
Slope Aspect	south
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	0-116cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	slow
Estimated run off (class)	ponded
Upper limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	116cm

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Average size of stone	2
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Microrelief Height: variation in height	30
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	ripples
Microrelief pattern	linear
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	little rocky
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Shape of stones (on average)	angular irregular

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Reference soil Nicaragua 08: Andosol

Characteristics

Reference soil NI008: Andosols

Classification