Reference soil China 16: Regosol

CN016

Regosols are found in areas where soil has been eroded to the extent that the underlying unconsolidated materials come near to the surface, or where soil formation has not played an important role, e.g. in desert regions. The name comes from the greek 'rhegos' :blanket meaning young soils on weathering materials.

Characteristics

Soils in medium and fine textured materials, having no distinctive horizons other than an ochric horizon at the surface.

Distribution of Regosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CN016: Regosols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION : Very deep, excessively drained, gravel with a thin brown, slightly gravelly sandy loam topsoil. A desert pavement is present at the surface. Notes on profile description: the A horizon consists of 3 thin layers. The first layer (top 1.5 cm) sometimes has a "foam or gasbubble" structure. The second layer is formed by a 4 cm clear loose laminated layer. The third or bottom part of the A horizon shows some crumb structure. The 24 cm boundary is not fixed, sometimes this boundary is at 15 cm or 20 cm depth. The C2 horizon may be devided into: 24-60 cm (coarse gravel) and 60-120 cm (fine gravel). The C2 is a dark coloured gravel layer. CLIMATE: somewhat in between Urumqi and Changyi / SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS: very shallow broad "run-off" channels or streamlines are visible (mainly through a denser vegetation cover) / VEGETATION: the Gobi or gravel/stone desert has an irregular vegetational cover; about 10% consists mainly of Reaumaria, Zljinia regelii, Ephedra and Zygo phyllum / Slide nos. of the ISRIC collection: 7609-7626 (profile, landscape/vegetation, monolith sampling). Thin section nos. of the ISRIC collection: none.

Classification

WRB 1998

Skeleti-Yermic- Regosol

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Yermi-Calcaric Regosol skeletic

Calcaric Regosol petric

- cm	ochric A horizon

- cm	ochric A horizon

Local classification:	Haplic skeletisol; Aridi-Orthic Primosol
Common name:	Brown gravelly colluvium

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Torriorthent
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Torriorthent torric fragmental mixed frigid

More images

Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	colluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	gravelly sand
Soil Depth	24cm

Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet
Soil erosion type (second entry)	wind

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	(semi-)natural vegetation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	incidentally browsed by camels
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	grassland

Altitude	750m
Physiographic Unit	south. plain of Tian Shan Mts.
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	piedmont
Slope	1%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

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

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)	surface capped, crust on drying
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	exceedingly stony

A 0-8 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, moist)loamy sand slightly gravelly,weak fine and medium crumb,slightly hard very friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine medium pores,clear smooth boundary to,
C1 8-24 cm	(dark) brown (10YR 4/3, moist)loamy sand slightly gravelly,weak fine and medium subangular blocky,slightly hard very friable non sticky non plastic,many very fine fine pores,clear wavy boundary to,
C2 24-120 cm	gravelloose,

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Reference soil China 16: Regosol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN016: Regosols

Classification