Reference soil Bhutan 04: Nitisol

BT004

Nitisols occur mainly in the tropics and subtropics, as well as in areas with a Mediterranean type of climate. They are associated with basic rocks (e.g. basalts) or hard limestone or dolomite deposits.

Characteristics

Soils having a nitic horizon (a horizon with pronounced nut-shaped soil structure and significant amount of active iron) within 100 cm from the soil surface, and gradual to diffuse horizon boundaries between the surface and the underlying horizons. They do not have a ferric, plinthic or vertic horizon within 100 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Nitisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil BT004: Nitisol

WRB 2014

Nitisol

Local classification

Classification information

Gamsa (clayey soil)

Location:

Near Limbukha, ridge to Lingmuteychu watershed (Wangduephodrang dzongkhag), Bhutan

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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	-	1.01	3.824	8.191	10.255	7.018	30.3	5.7	11.773	17.5	52.239
10-50	-	0.82	2.833	5.002	5.843	3.996	18.4	3.9	8.54	12.4	69.193
50-90	-	1.102	3.502	7.591	7.786	5.582	25.6	4.6	10.583	15.2	59.242
90-130	-	0.914	4.199	9.804	9.578	6.119	30.6	4.5	11.909	16.4	52.994
130-150	-	1.624	3.972	17.176	12.622	6.229	41.6	4	11.354	15.4	42.958

Other physical data

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-10	1.34	-	-	-	52.239
10-50	1.31	-	-	-	69.193
50-90	1.36	-	-	-	59.242
90-130	1.53	-	-	-	52.994
130-150	1.6	-	-	-	42.958

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	6.15	4.94	0.107	0	3.321	0.208	15.963	-	-	7.946	2.891	1.152	0	12
10-50	6.42	5.44	0.022	0.196	0.336	0.042	7.905	-	-	5.756	2.439	1	0	9.2
50-90	6.28	5.46	0.019	0.026	0.226	0.062	3.635	-	-	5.35	2.062	0.39	0	7.9
90-130	6.56	5.56	0.022	0	0.191	0.062	3.035	-	-	5.422	2.13	0.323	0	7.8
130-150	6.71	5.71	0.022	0.077	0.13	0.052	2.585	-	-	4.975	1.977	0.128	0	7.1

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	78	15.387	-	-	-	-	-
10-50	67	13.715	-	-	-	-	-
50-90	69	11.38	-	-	-	-	-
90-130	85	9.17	-	-	-	-	-
130-150	86	8.313	-	-	-	-	-

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	-	38	0.088	0.208	0.037	3.966	0.449	-	-	-	0.465
10-50	-	53	0.08	0.25	0.063	5.278	0.531	-	-	-	0.369
50-90	-	44	0.043	0.192	0.057	4.815	0.52	-	-	-	0.304
90-130	-	37	0.03	0.153	0.052	4.495	0.443	-	-	-	0.258
130-150	-	30	0.056	0.121	0.042	4.183	0.384	-	-	-	0.175

Depth (cm)	CaSO4.2H2O %	P Bray mg/kg	P Olsen mg/kg	pH CaCl2	clay_noncarbonate % w/w	clay_carbonate % w/w	phosphorus4 mg/kg	phosphorus1 mg/kg	total_sulfur % w/w
0-10	-	-	-	5.5	52.239	0	29.415	0.354	0.008
10-50	-	-	-	6.02	69.193	0	26.611	0	0
50-90	-	-	-	6.07	59.242	0	39.432	0	0
90-130	-	-	-	6.2	52.994	-	26.413	0	0
130-150	-	-	-	6.31	42.958	-	0	0.021	0

Profile description

A 0-10 cm	dark reddish brown(2.5YR 3/4, moist) ; loam strong angular blocky ; hard ; no cutans; abundant (> 40%) mottles; high (15-40%) pores; common coarse common fine common very fine roots; no inclusions ; few (2-5%) strongly weathered medium artefacts (6-20 mm) ; few termite or ant channels and nests ; gradual (5-15 cm) wavy; pockets less deep than wide boundary to
Bw1 10-50 cm	dark red(2.5YR 3/6, moist) ; strong ; hard ; no cutans; abundant (> 40%) mottles; high (15-40%) pores; common coarse common fine common very fine roots; no inclusions ; common (5-15%) strongly weathered medium artefacts (6-20 mm) ; few ; diffuse (> 15 cm) smooth; nearly plane surface boundary to
Bw2 50-90 cm	dark red(2.5YR 3/6, moist) ; strong angular blocky ; hard ; abundant faint clay cutans; abundant (> 40%) mottles; high (15-40%) pores; few coarse few fine few very fine roots; no inclusions ; common (5-15%) strongly weathered medium artefacts (6-20 mm) ; no biological activity ; diffuse (> 15 cm) smooth; nearly plane surface boundary to
Bw3 90-130 cm	dark red(2.5YR 3/6, moist) ; strong angular blocky ; hard ; abundant faint clay cutans; abundant (> 40%) mottles; high (15-40%) pores; few fine few very fine roots; no inclusions ; common (5-15%) strongly weathered medium artefacts (6-20 mm) ; no biological activity ; diffuse (> 15 cm) smooth; nearly plane surface boundary to
BC 130-150 cm	dark red(2.5YR 3/6, moist) ; strong angular blocky ; hard ; abundant faint clay cutans; abundant (> 40%) mottles; high (15-40%) pores; very few fine very few very fine roots; no inclusions ; many (15-40%) strongly weathered coarse artefacts (> 20 mm) ; no biological activity ;

Age of the land Surface	older pleistocene, with periglacial influence, commonly the recent soil formation on younger over older, preweathered materials
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	MB4
Remarks on Parent Materials	“Skarn” rocks (quartzite, amphibolite)

Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	gully erosion WG;WR
Classification of total area affected by erosion and deposition	10%-25%

Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	terracing
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	selective felling
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	Chirpine (P. roxburghii) with a.o. Rosa sp. and Artemisia sp. in understorey
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	WD;xeromorphic woodland

Altitude	1839m
Physiographic Unit	middle slope (back slope) in undulating to mountainous terrain
Physiographic position of the site	MS
Physiograpy description	Roadcut on terraced slope
Slope	09%
Slope Aspect	south-east
Form of the slope surrounding the site	terraced
Slope gradient %	55.0%

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well drained
Depth to groundwater table	> 1000cm
Flooding	none
Drainage class - intergrade; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well drained

Average size of stone	stones (6-20 cm)
Surface cracking	fine (< 1 cm)
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	common (5-15%)

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Reference soil Bhutan 04: Nitisol

Characteristics

Reference soil BT004: Nitisol