Reference soil Kenya 23: Luvisol

KE023

Luvisols occur mainly in temperate regions, particularly in areas with a Mediterranean-type of climate.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon) with a cation exchange capacity equal to or more than 24 cmolc per kg clay throughout.

Distribution of Luvisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil KE023: Luvisols

A deep-rooting (125-180 cm), ill-sorted sandy soil of a dry and hot climate with small clay bands at 250 cm and a gravelly layer at 270 cm. Inside growing season the soil gets flooded 3 or 4 times and offers very extensive grazing land for animals; also many large krotovinas; vegetation: accacia sp., indigofera sp.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Cutanic- Luvisol (Hypereutric Profondic)

Cutani-Profondic- Luvisol

65-170 cm

argic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Orthi-Haplic Luvisol

Luvic Xerosol

0-45 cm	ochric A horizon
65-170 cm	argic B horizon

0-45 cm	ochric A horizon
65-170 cm	argillic B horizon
-	aridic moisture regime

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Haplargid
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Haplargid aridic

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	-	1.4	11.6	21.7	24.8	14.1	73.6	7.6	9.9	17.5	8.9
8-20	-	1.2	9.6	19.2	26.9	14.9	71.8	10.0	10.3	20.3	7.8
20-45	-	2.3	13.6	22.7	22.7	8.2	69.5	6.4	13.6	20	10.4
45-65	-	3.0	14.2	23.3	22.6	8.1	71.2	4.4	12.7	17.1	11.7
65-100	-	3.3	15.7	25.3	20.1	6.9	71.3	2.8	10.5	13.3	15.4
100-130	-	4.2	14.6	21.4	17.7	6.7	64.6	4.4	12.0	16.4	19.1

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	-	-	-	4.2	8.9
8-20	1.50	-	-	4.7	7.8
20-45	-	-	-	6.8	10.4
45-65	1.57	-	-	7.5	11.7
65-100	1.62	-	-	6.4	15.4
100-130	-	-	-	-	19.1

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
8-20	1.50	35.2	33.9	29.0	20.9	18.5	17.0	9.4	7.8
45-65	1.57	35.3	33.5	28.7	19.3	16.7	15.0	11.6	10.0
65-100	1.62	33.9	32.3	27.7	20.3	17.8	16.1	11.6	10.2

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	8.4	7.8	0.24	1.3	0.45	0.03	15	0	0	6.2	-	1.3	0.0	9.5
8-20	8.6	7.8	0.17	1.5	0.19	0.02	10	0	0	6.5	-	1.5	0.1	9.7
20-45	8.5	7.6	0.17	1.6	0.13	0.02	7	0	0	8.1	-	1.1	0.0	11.8
45-65	8.4	7.6	0.18	1.3	0.15	-	-	0	0	7.5	-	1.0	0.0	10.7
65-100	8.2	7.1	0.16	1.4	0.11	-	-	0	0	7.5	-	0.8	0.0	10.2
100-130	8.2	7.4	0.39	2.0	0.11	-	-	0	0	10.0	2.1	1.0	0.0	13.1

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 %
0-8	90	10.6	104	1.6	-	-	0
8-20	100	9.7	118	0.7	-	-	1
20-45	96	12.3	116	0.5	-	-	0
45-65	87	12.3	102	0.5	-	-	0
65-100	92	11.1	71	0.4	-	-	0
100-130	93	14.1	73	0.4	-	-	0

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-8	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak to medium	-	-	weak	-
20-45	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak to medium	-	-	weak	-
65-100	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	medium to strong	-	-	weak to medium	-

Profile description

AC1 0-8 cm	(7.5YR 6/5, dry) (dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, moist)loamy sand,weak very fine and fine platy,slightly hard very friable non sticky non plastic,many micro to very coarse discontinuous interstitial pores,very fine to coarse roots,few fine gravel mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),abrupt smooth boundary to,
AC2 8-20 cm	(7.5YR 6/5, dry) (dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, moist)loamy sand,weakly coherent porous massive and weak fine and medium subangular blocky,soft very friable non sticky non plastic,common to many micro to fine and few medium pores,very fine to coarse roots,few fine gravel mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),abrupt smooth boundary to,
2Ah 20-45 cm	brown (7.5YR 5/4, dry) dark brown (7.5YR 3/4, moist)sandy loam,moderately coherent porous massive and weak medium and coarse subangular blocky,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,common to many micro fine pores and few medium pores,very fine to coarse roots,few fine gravel mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear smooth boundary to,
2B 45-65 cm	(7.5YR 4.5/4, dry) dark brown (7.5YR 3/4, moist)sandy loam,strongly coherent porous massive and weak medium and coarse subangular blocky,slightly hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,many micro to fine pores and few medium pores,very fine to coarse roots,few fine gravel mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),gradual smooth boundary to,
2Bt 65-140 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, dry) dark brown (7.5YR 3/4, moist)sandy clay loam,strongly coherent porous massive and weak medium and coarse subangular blocky,hard very friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,patchy thin clay cutans,many micro and very fine and few fine to coarse pores,very fine to coarse roots,few small spherical soft calcareous concretions,few fine gravel mica fragments,slightly calcareous (0-2%),clear smooth boundary to,
2BC 140-170 cm	(10YR 4/5, dry) (dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, moist)sandy clay,moderately coherent porous massive,slightly hard very friable sticky plastic,patchy thin clay cutans,many micro and very fine and few fine and medium pores,few small spherical soft calcareous concretions,few fine gravel mica fragments,
2C 170-280 cm	light brown (7.5YR 6/4, dry) (dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, moist)Description sand,structureless,few fine gravel mica fragments,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	gneiss
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	unconsolidated, unspecified
Remarks on Parent Materials	Basement System rocks (Hedad Bed sediments)
Texture of parent material	loamy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

Intensity of the soil erosion type	severe
Intensity of the soil erosion type (second entry)	moderate
Soil erosion type	sheet
Soil erosion type (second entry)	rill

Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no irrigation
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	semi-natural grassland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: Acacia species, Indigofere species. LAND USE: Extensive grazing and browsing by animals
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop rotation scheme not relevant
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	dwarf shrub

Altitude	6m
Physiographic Unit	sedimentary plain
Physiographic position of the site	flat
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plain
Slope	0%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-280cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	irregular
Nature of flood water	fresh
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	flooded
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	slow

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	slightly alkaline
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	surface partly slaked, round smooth aggregates
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 Kenya 23: Luvisol

Characteristics

Reference soil KE023: Luvisols

Classification