Reference soil Italy 01: Cambisol

IT001

Cambisols occur mainly in the temperate and boreal regions of the world, where the soil’s parent material is still young or where low temperatures slow down the processes of soil formation.

Characteristics

Soils having either a cambic horizon (a horizon showing evidence of alteration with respect to the underlying material), or a mollic horizon overlying a subsoil, which has a base saturation of less than 50 percent in some part within 100 cm from the soil surface, or one of the following diagnostic horizons within the specified depth: an andic, vertic, or vitric horizon starting between 25 and 100 cm; a (petro-)plinthic or salic horizon starting between 50 and 100 cm, in absence of loamy sand or coarser textures above these horizons.

Distribution of Cambisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil IT001: Cambisols

Short field description: A very deep, well drained, brown, loamy soil. A dark brown clay loam (A-horizon) is from 52 cm onwards underlain by a dark reddish silt loam and a silty clay loam. The B3-horizon continues below a depth of 150 cm, colouring reddish brown to yellowish red in the lower part, with a texture of a silty clay. The bulk of the roots is confined to the top 70 cm; moderate to coarse subangular blocky structure is common in the B-horizon. The pH is slightly acid in the upper part of the solum and medium acid in the B3. The top-horizon (0), from 1 to 0 cm consists of partly decomposed organic material. Soils of this kind were encountered in the Upper Crate basin, are however not neccessarily restricted to this region. Precise distribution patterns are not known. These soils are associated with rankers and redder Mediterranean soils. The soils differs from reddish brown soils, developed under similar environment, in lacking an argillic horizon and having a low base saturation percentage. The pH is determined conform Hellige. * The effective soil depth is at least 150 cm, no evidence of groundwater within 2 meters. A detailed description of the vegetation of the East side of the river T.Narigliano (at site)is made. Author: Bos (ITC) date: 05-72 Area: 10 * 10 m Coverage: 95% Trees: Castanea of ca. 15m., very old, hollow trees, coverage of 20% Shrubs: Maximum height of 1.5m., coverage of 10% Herbs: Maximum height of 0.8m., coverage of 90% Trees: Castanea 1 Coverage/sociablilty Shrubs: Rubus1.3+ = 5%1 = loose Cistus salvifolius2.41 = 05-10%2 = small polls Crataegus oxycantra+.12 = 10-25%3 = big polls Rosa sp.+.13 = 25-50%4 = almost covered surface Spartium Junceum14 = 50-75%5 = covered surface Herbs: Pteridium2.35 = 75-100% Cirsium sp.2.1 Thymus sp.2.2 Bellisperenne1.1 Luzula campestre2.1 Carex sp.1.1 Castania1.1 Quercus pubescens1.1 Crepis+.1 "grass"2.2 Dactylus glomerata3.2 Lotium perrene+.2 Dianthus+.1 Viccia sepium2.2 Galium2.3 Ruscus+.2 Hordeum+.1 Trifolium campestre2.2 Trifolium repens2.4 Bryza+.1 Poa sp.+.2 Cynosurus sp.+.2 Lathyrus+.1 "rest"+.1

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	-	-	-	-	-	-	24.7	13.5	28.2	41.7	33.6
25-40	-	-	-	-	-	-	24.7	13.9	27.4	41.3	34
60-70	-	-	-	-	-	-	20.5	15.1	37.8	52.9	26.6
80-90	-	-	-	-	-	-	15.9	13.1	37	50.1	34
105-115	-	-	-	-	-	-	14.4	11.2	30.1	41.3	44.3
130-140	-	-	-	-	-	-	14.7	12.1	28.4	40.5	44.8

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	-	-	-	-	33.6
25-40	-	-	-	-	34
60-70	-	-	-	-	26.6
80-90	-	-	-	-	34
105-115	-	-	-	-	44.3
130-140	-	-	-	-	44.8

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	6.2	5.2	-	-	2.90	0.39	7	-	-	8.5	3.7	1.6	0.1	13.9
25-40	6.4	4.9	-	-	2.69	0.20	13	-	-	3.4	1.2	0.8	0.1	5.5
60-70	6.3	5.2	-	-	2.85	0.27	11	-	-	3.0	1.2	0.7	0.1	5
80-90	6.0	5.1	-	-	1.88	0.21	9	-	-	2.7	1.0	0.7	0.2	4.6
105-115	5.9	4.7	-	-	0.67	0.12	6	-	-	5.1	2.2	0.5	0.2	8
130-140	5.9	4.7	-	-	0.68	0.11	6	-	-	5.3	2.4	0.4	0.2	8.3

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 %
0-10	33	41.7	124	10.2	-	-	-
25-40	15	36.3	107	9.4	-	-	-
60-70	13	39.1	147	10	-	-	-
80-90	13	35.7	105	6.6	-	-	-
105-115	29	27.2	61	2.3	-	-	-
130-140	30	27.3	61	2.4	-	-	-

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	-	-	-	1.16	0.48	2.4	-	-	-	-	0.85
25-40	-	-	-	0.39	0.61	2.6	-	-	-	-	3.81
60-70	-	-	-	0.55	0.95	2.9	-	-	-	-	3.57
80-90	-	-	-	0.57	0.94	3.2	-	-	-	-	3.94
105-115	-	-	-	0.85	0.28	3.2	-	-	-	-	1.31
130-140	-	-	-	0.82	0.3	3.3	-	-	-	-	1.36

Profile description

organic moderately

Ah1 0-18 cm	brown (10YR 5/3, dry) dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)clay loam,strong fine crumb,friable,many fine to coarse pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
Ah2 18-52 cm	brown (10YR 5/3, dry) dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)clay loam,weak coarse subangular blocky,friable,common fine medium pores and few pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bw1 52-77 cm	brown (7.5YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)silt loam,moderate coarse subangular blocky parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky,friable,common fine medium pores and few pores,clear wavy boundary to,
Bw2 77-97 cm	brown (7.5YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4, moist)silty clay loam,moderate coarse subangular blocky parting to weak fine subangular blocky,friable,common fine pores and common pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bw3 97-121 cm	brown (7.5YR 5/4, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4, moist)silty clay,moderate coarse subangular blocky parting to weak very fine subangular blocky,friable,few fine pores and few pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
121-150 cm	(7.5YR 6/5, dry) dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6, moist)silty clay,moderate to strong coarse subangular blocky parting to weak medium subangular blocky,friable,

Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	unconsolidated, unspecified
Remarks on Parent Materials	Pliocene deposits
Texture of parent material (second entry)	sandy

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	woodland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	used for cereal prod.,but mainly pasture

Altitude	500m
Physiographic Unit	part of a deeply dissected fan
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.	basin
Slope	10%
Slope Aspect	east
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	rolling

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-150cm

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
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 Italy 01: Cambisol

Characteristics

Reference soil IT001: Cambisols

Classification