Reference soil Romania 05: Chernozem

RO005

Chernozems are typically found in the long-grass steppe regions of the world, particularly in Eastern Europe and North America (Canada and the USA).

Characteristics

Soils having a very dark mollic horizon (thick, brownish or blackish surface horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation) and secondary carbonates within 50 cm of the lower limit of the Ah horizon, but within 200 cm from the soil surface. They have no petrocalcic horizon between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface, no secondary gypsum and no uncoated sand and silt grains on structural pedfaces

Distribution of Chernozems (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil RO005: Chernozems

GROUND COVER: Herbaceous, glades consisting mainly of Calamagrostis epigeios, Agrimonia eupatoria, Origanum vulgare, Hypericum perforat. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON PROFILE DESCRIPTION: AB - Cutans: with organic matter and iron oxides. Cca - With white mottles; inclusions: lime veins, spots and concretions.

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	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	1.8	2.3	29.9	31.3	61.2	36.6
18-32	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	1.7	2.2	26.8	30.3	57.1	40.9
32-45	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	1.7	2.2	26.8	30.3	57.1	40.9
45-58	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	2.1	2.6	28.7	31.1	59.8	37.8
58-70	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	2.1	2.6	28.7	31.1	59.8	37.8
70-85	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	2.9	3.3	23.4	38.8	62.2	34.6
85-98	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	2.9	3.3	23.4	38.8	62.2	34.6
98-120	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	2.5	2.9	38	26.9	64.9	32.5
120-135	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.3	2.6	3.2	30.1	37.4	67.5	29.4
135-150	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.3	2.6	-	30.1	37.4	-	29.4

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-15	-	-	-	-	36.6
18-32	-	-	-	-	40.9
32-45	-	-	-	-	40.9
45-58	-	-	-	-	37.8
58-70	-	-	-	-	37.8
70-85	-	-	-	-	34.6
85-98	-	-	-	-	34.6
98-120	-	-	-	-	32.5
120-135	-	-	-	-	29.4
135-150	-	-	-	-	29.4

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
0-15	6.9	6.4	0.22	4.3	3.03	0.26	12	-	-	33.7	5.4	0.9	0.1	40.1
18-32	7.2	6.4	0.21	2.6	1.93	0.17	11	-	-	35.3	5.1	0.6	0.1	41.1
45-58	7.4	6.4	0.13	2.6	1.32	0.12	11	-	-	34.9	4.2	0.5	0.1	39.7
70-85	7.4	6.0	0.16	2.5	0.89	0.08	11	-	-	31.0	2.8	0.4	0.1	34.3
98-120	7.6	6.4	0.22	2.6	0.74	-	-	-	-	33.3	2.1	0.4	0.1	35.9
135-150	8.3	7.3	0.24	16.3	0.39	-	-	-	-	69.0	1.9	0.3	0.1	71.3

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	114	35.3	96	10.6	-	-	-
18-32	128	32.2	79	6.8	-	-	-
45-58	128	30.9	82	4.6	-	-	-
70-85	128	26.7	77	3.1	-	-	-
98-120	138	26	80	2.6	-	-	-
135-150	379	18.8	64	1.4	-	-	-

Elemental composition of the soil

Depth (cm)	Al2O3 % w/w	CaO % w/w	Fe2O3 % w/w	K2O % w/w	MgO % w/w	Na2O % w/w	SiO2 % w/w	TiO2 % w/w
0-15	12.6	1.2	4.6	2.21	1.35	-	66.5	0.84
18-32	13.1	1.11	5.1	2.27	1.49	-	67.3	0.86
32-45	13.1	1.11	5.1	2.27	1.49	-	67.3	0.86
45-58	13.1	1.07	5.1	2.21	1.47	-	66.8	0.87
58-70	13.1	1.07	5.1	2.21	1.47	-	66.8	0.87
70-85	13.4	1.05	5.2	2.21	1.6	-	68.6	0.9
85-98	13.4	1.05	5.2	2.21	1.6	-	68.6	0.9
98-120	13.6	1.09	5.2	2.21	1.64	-	69.5	0.9
120-135	11.5	9.59	4.4	1.85	1.6	-	59.4	0.75
135-150	11.5	9.59	4.4	1.85	1.6	-	59.4	0.75

Depth (cm)	Al2O3/Fe2O3 mol/mol	LOI % w/w	MnO2 % w/w	P2O5 % w/w	SiO2 / Al2O3 mol/mol	SiO2/Fe2O3 mol/mol	SiO2 / R mol/mol
0-15	-	8.9	0.12	0.17	-	-	-
18-32	-	7.4	0.12	0.14	-	-	-
32-45	-	7.4	0.12	0.14	-	-	-
45-58	-	6.5	0.11	0.12	-	-	-
58-70	-	6.5	0.11	0.12	-	-	-
70-85	-	5.5	0.11	0.12	-	-	-
85-98	-	5.5	0.11	0.12	-	-	-
98-120	-	5.2	0.11	0.12	-	-	-
120-135	-	10.5	0.09	0.10	-	-	-
135-150	-	10.5	0.09	0.10	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-15	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	very strong	-	strong	strong	-
18-32	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	very strong	-	strong	strong	-
32-45	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	very strong	-	strong	strong	-
45-58	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	very strong	-	strong	strong	-
58-70	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	very strong	-	strong	strong	-
70-85	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	strong	-	strong	strong	-
85-98	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	strong	-	strong	strong	-
98-120	weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	strong	-	strong	strong	-
120-135	weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	weak to medium	-	weak to medium	strong	-
135-150	weak	-	-	-	-	-	strong	weak to medium	-	weak to medium	strong	-

Profile description

Ah1 0-18 cm	(10YR 3.5/1.5, dry) (10YR 2/1.5, moist)silty clay loam,strong medium and coarse granular,hard friable sticky plastic,many fine medium interstitial pores,very frequent coprogenic elements,gradual boundary to,
Ah2 18-45 cm	(10YR 3.5/2, dry) (10YR 2/1.5, moist)silty clay loam,strong medium and coarse granular,hard friable sticky plastic,many fine medium interstitial pores,very frequent coprogenic elements,gradual boundary to,
45-70 cm	(10YR 3.5/2, dry) (10YR 2.5/no, moist)silty clay loam,strong medium and coarse granular and strong medium and coarse subangular blocky,hard friable sticky plastic,patchy thin clay on horizontal pedfaces cutans,many fine medium interstitial pores,frequent coprogenic elements and krotovinas,gradual boundary to,
Bw1 70-98 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, dry) (10YR 3/2.5, moist)silty clay loam,moderate medium prismatic,very hard firm sticky plastic,many fine interstitial pores,frequent coprogenic elements and krotovinas,gradual boundary to,
Bw2 98-115 cm	dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4, dry) dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)silty clay loam,moderate medium prismatic,very hard firm sticky plastic,many fine interstitial pores,few coprogenic elements and krotovinas,abrupt boundary to,
Ck 115-150 cm	brown (10YR 5/3, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4, moist)silty clay loam,massive,very frequent calcareous,krotovinas,

Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	Quercus pedunculiflora; see gen. remarks
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	deciduous forest

Altitude	60m
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plain
Slope	1%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-130cm

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
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 Romania 05: Chernozem

Characteristics

Reference soil RO005: Chernozems

Classification