Reference soil Slovakia 03: Chernozem

SK003

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 SK003: Chernozems

Slope stability: some creep as may be noticed from curved trees.

Classification

WRB 1998

Vermi-calcic horizon- Chernozem

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Vermi-Calcic Chernozem

Calcic Chernozem

Local classification:	Illimerzovaná pôda

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Calciustoll udic fine-silty montmorillonitic mesic

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
0-8	0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.9	4.5	5.7	35.4	29.4	64.8	29.7
15-30	0	0	0	0.3	0.7	5.4	6.4	34.7	27.9	62.5	31.1
8-15	0	0	0	0.2	0.5	5.5	6.2	33.4	28.9	62.3	31.6
45-60	0	0	0	0.5	1.4	4.7	6.6	37.8	28.5	66.3	27.1
30-45	0	0.1	0.3	0.4	1.2	5.2	7.2	36.6	26.9	63.5	29.4
60-80	0	0	0.1	0.6	0.9	4.3	5.9	39.9	29	68.9	25.2
80-100	0	0	0.1	0.3	0.9	12	13.3	34.2	28.3	62.5	24.2
100-110	0	0	0	0.3	0.5	11.8	12.6	37.4	28.1	65.5	21.9

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-8	-	-	-	-	29.7
15-30	-	-	-	-	31.1
8-15	-	-	-	-	31.6
45-60	-	-	-	-	27.1
30-45	-	-	-	-	29.4
60-80	-	-	-	-	25.2
80-100	-	-	-	-	24.2
100-110	-	-	-	-	21.9

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
0-8	6.0	5.4	0.31	-	4.24	0.34	12	-	-	22.4	5.0	0.4	0.0	27.8
15-30	6.3	5.3	0.21	-	1.56	0.16	10	-	-	18.5	3.7	0.2	0.0	22.4
8-15	4.7	3.4	0.15	-	1.97	0.19	10	4.8	3.7	10.6	3.3	0.2	0.0	14.1
45-60	7.8	7.0	0.27	3.1	0.61	0.07	9	-	-	32.8	3.0	0.3	0.0	36.1
30-45	7.2	6.2	0.23	2.1	0.89	0.10	9	-	-	20.0	3.4	0.2	0.0	23.6
60-80	7.9	7.1	0.28	2.8	0.53	0.07	8	-	-	29.4	3.0	0.3	0.0	32.7
80-100	8.1	7.4	0.28	17.8	0.59	0.05	12	-	-	45.1	2.4	0.2	0.0	47.7
100-110	8.1	7.6	0.34	26.3	0.42	0.40	1	-	-	45.3	2.4	0.2	0.0	47.9

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 %
0-8	99	28.2	95	14.8	-	-	-
15-30	100	22.4	72	5.5	-	-	-
8-15	64	21.9	69	6.9	-	17	-
45-60	191	18.9	70	2.1	-	-	-
30-45	111	21.2	72	3.1	-	-	-
60-80	186	17.6	70	1.9	-	-	-
80-100	343	13.9	57	2.1	-	-	-
100-110	428	11.2	51	1.5	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-8	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	very strong	very weak to weak
15-30	very weak to weak	very weak	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak	weak	very weak to weak	very strong	very weak to weak
45-60	weak	very weak	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	very weak to weak	weak to medium	weak	very strong	very weak
80-100	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak to medium	medium to strong	very weak to weak	medium to strong	-

Profile description

nilnilnilnilnil

Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	eolian loess
Remarks on Parent Materials	calcareous

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	not apparent
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Slope stability	locally unstable

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	afforestation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	Quercus - Carpinatum
Status of vegetation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	secondary
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	semi-deciduous forest

Altitude	167m
Physiographic Unit	slope
Physiographic position of the site	middle slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	hill
Slope	7%
Slope Aspect	north
Form of the slope surrounding the site	concave
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	rolling

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	0-150cm
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
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 Slovakia 03: Chernozem

Characteristics

Reference soil SK003: Chernozems

Classification