Reference soil Zambia 06: Ferralsol

ZM006

Ferralsols occur in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, mainly on old and stable land surfaces.

Characteristics

Soils having a ferralic horizon (strongly weathered horizon with low-activity clays and very low amounts of weatherable minerals) between 25 and 200 cm from the soil surface. They lack a nitic horizon (a horizon with strongly developed, nut-shaped structure) and do not have a layer which fulfils the requirements of an argic horizon and which has, in the upper 30 cm, 10 percent or more water-dispersible clay.

Distribution of Ferralsols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil ZM006: Ferralsols

Ferralsol REFERENCE: prof. no. 41. Soil Survey Unit, Mt Makulu, Chilanga

Classification

WRB 2006

Haplic- Ferralsol (Dystric Arenic)

20-75 cm	cambic horizon
75-180 cm	ferralic horizon

20-75 cm	cambic horizon
75-180 cm	ferralic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Chromi-Ferralic Cambisol

Ferralic Cambisol

0-20 cm	ochric A horizon
20-180 cm	cambic B horizon
-	ferralic

0-20 cm	ochric A horizon
20-180 cm	cambic B horizon
-	ferralic

Local classification:	Mwiemba loamy fine sand

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Dystropept ustic coarse-loamy mixed isohyperthermic

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
0-10	-	0.3	2.7	10.9	54.1	16.2	84.2	3.9	1.8	5.7	10.1
10-20	-	0.3	2.5	10.9	55.8	15.0	84.5	3.3	2.0	5.3	10.2
20-43	-	0.4	3.0	10.8	53.9	14.2	82.3	3.4	2.3	5.7	12.1
43-70	-	0.3	2.6	10.4	53.5	14.3	81.1	3.1	2.8	5.9	13.0
70-120	-	0.1	3.0	11.7	49.9	12.2	76.9	3.9	0.5	4.4	18.7
120-150	-	0.4	2.6	10.5	48.7	13.5	75.7	1.0	1.3	2.3	19.0

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-10	-	20	-	5.5	10.1
6-11	1.194	-	-	-	-
10-20	-	14	-	5.0	10.2
26-31	1.330	-	-	-	-
60-65	1.346	-	-	-	-
20-43	-	14	-	5.0	12.1
43-70	-	15	-	3.5	13.0
70-120	-	20	-	0.5	18.7
120-150	-	22	-	0.5	19.0

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
6-11	1.194	51.1	50.4	33.4	16.5	13.9	11.8	7.4	6.7
26-31	1.330	46.9	45.2	43.7	12.1	10.3	9.1	6.8	6.5
60-65	1.346	44.4	43.6	27.9	12.6	10.5	9.0	7.1	6.4

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
0-10	5.9	4.8	0.10	-	1.54	0.08	19	0.2	0.0	1.3	0.8	0.2	0.1	2.4
10-20	6.2	4.7	0.04	-	0.59	0.08	7	0.3	0.0	1.3	0.8	0.2	0.1	2.4
20-43	6.1	4.5	0.03	-	0.25	0.04	6	0.3	0.1	0.5	0.5	0.2	0.1	1.3
43-70	6.0	4.5	0.02	-	0.15	0	-	0.2	0.0	0.4	0.6	0.1	0.1	1.2
70-120	5.5	4.3	0.02	-	0.09	0	-	0.6	0.4	0.2	0.5	0.1	0.1	0.9
120-150	5.3	4.2	0.02	-	0.07	0	-	0.8	0.6	0.2	0.5	0.1	0.0	0.8

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 %
0-10	40	6.0	59	5.4	-	0	2
10-20	40	6.0	59	2.1	-	0	2
20-43	46	2.8	23	0.9	-	4	4
43-70	50	2.4	18	0.5	-	0	4
70-120	35	2.6	14	0.3	-	15	4
120-150	27	3.0	16	0.2	-	20	0

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
0-10	-	-	-	0.11	0	0.48	0.12	0.07	0.12	-	0.03
10-20	-	-	-	0.10	0	0.51	0.11	0.09	0.08	-	0.03
20-43	-	-	-	0.08	0	0.58	0.09	0.09	0.06	-	0.03
43-70	-	-	-	0.07	0	0.61	0.09	0.05	0.04	-	0.03
70-120	-	-	-	0.08	0	0.85	0.11	0.03	0.04	-	0.03
120-150	-	-	-	0.08	0	0.88	0.11	0.01	0.03	-	0.03

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
10-20	4.4	0.00	1.0	0.21	0.00	-	92.2	0.34
20-43	5.2	0.00	1.2	0.23	0.00	-	91.3	0.36
43-70	5.5	0.00	1.3	0.25	0.03	-	91.3	0.37
70-120	7.1	0.00	1.5	0.29	0.02	-	88.4	0.37
120-150	7.3	0.00	1.6	0.28	0.02	-	87.6	0.38

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
10-20	6.9	2.5	0.01	0.02	35.6	245	31.1
20-43	6.8	2.3	0.01	0.01	29.8	202.2	26
43-70	6.6	2.2	0.01	0.00	28.2	186.7	24.5
70-120	7.4	2.7	0.00	0.00	21.1	156.6	18.6
120-150	7.1	2.7	0.00	0.00	20.4	145.5	17.9

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-10	-	very weak to weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	-
10-20	-	very weak to weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	-
20-43	-	very weak to weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	-
43-70	-	very weak to weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	-
70-120	-	very weak to weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	-
120-150	-	very weak to weak	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah 0-20 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)loamy fine sand,weak fine subangular blocky,soft non sticky non plastic,many very fine and fine pores highly porous (>60 vol%),many very fine to coarse roots,non calcareous,gradual wavy boundary to,
BA 20-43 cm	red (2.5YR 4/6, moist)yellowish red (5YR 4/6, moist),loamy fine sand,loamy fine sand,weak medium subangular blocky parting to single grain,weak fine subangular blocky parting to single grain,soft non sticky non plastic,soft slightly sticky non plastic,many very fine and fine pores highly porous (>60 vol%),many very fine and fine pores highly porous (>60 vol%),many very fine to coarse roots,many very fine and fine roots,weakly cemented pans,weakly cemented pans,non calcareous,non calcareous,diffuse smooth boundary to,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bw2 75-180 cm	red (2.5YR 5/8, dry) red (2.5YR 4/8, moist)fine sandy loam,weak medium subangular blocky parting to single grain,soft (dry),many very fine and fine pores,few fine and medium roots,weakly cemented pans,non calcareous,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sediment, unconsolidated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	colluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	Precambrian quartzites of the Kibaran System (Upper Basement Complex)
Soil Depth	180cm
Texture of parent material	sandy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

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

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	woodland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Open woodland savannah due to frequent cutting. Dominant species: Julbernardia paniculata, Uapaca kirkiana, Securidaca longepedunculata, Anisophyllea boehmi, Parinari curatellifolia and Uapaca beguelensis
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)	deciduous woodland

Altitude	1384m
Physiographic Unit	piedmont slope
Physiographic position of the site	slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plateau
Slope	1%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

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	0-180cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high
Estimated run off (class)	rapid

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
Microrelief pattern	none
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

You are here

Reference soil Zambia 06: Ferralsol

Characteristics

Reference soil ZM006: Ferralsols

Classification