Annex 2 - Soil profile classification

This section contains the description of the soil profiles.

For every profile all horizons, with their name and characteristics, are listed.

Each soil profile is provided with the following information:

• depth;
• distinctiness and topography of the horizon boundary;
• moisture status;
• colour of moist and dry sample (Munsell colour soil chart);
• abundance, size and shape of rock fragments;
• texture[4];
• size, grade and type of structure;
• consistency of the dry, moist and wet soil samples;
• penetrometer reading;
• abundance of carbonates;
• abundance and size of roots;
• abundance, nature and localisation of cutans;
• abundance, size, boundary and colour of mottles;
• location and abundance of efflorescences;
• size and abundance and nature of nodules;
• size and abundance of voids;
• abundance and kind of biological features.

Cambisol (reference profiles: 103 and 107)

Ap1 0-0.5cm

Abrupt linear boundary, dry, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) when moist and brown (10YR 5/3) when dry, many sub-rounded fine gravels, silty loam, massive very strong structure, slightly hard, many fine iron-manganese nodules.

Ap2 0.6-35cm

Gradual wavy boundary, dry, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) when moist and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) when dry, common sub-rounded fine gravels, silty loam, very fine moderate sub-angular blocky structure, hard, very few very fine roots, many medium sized iron-manganese nodules, fine voids with medium porosity, few biological features due to ants’ channels.

Bw >36cm

Dry, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) when moist and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) when dry, abundant sub-rounded coarse gravels, loamy, very fine strong angular and sub-angular blocky structure, extremely hard, very few very fine roots, many medium sized mottles very dark gray (2.5YR 3/0) with diffuse boundaries, abundant medium sized iron-manganese nodules, fine voids with very low porosity.

Ap 0-20cm

Clear wavy boundary, dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) when moist and brown (10YR 5/3) when dry, common angular coarse gravel, loamy, very fine weak sub-angular blocky structure, slightly hard, few very fine roots, fine voids with medium porosity, few earthworms’ channels.

Bw >21cm

Clear wavy boundary, dry, dark brown-brown (10YR 4/3) when moist and brown (10YR 5/3) when dry, dominant angular coarse gravels, clay loam, very fine moderate angular blocky structure, hard, few very fine roots, fine voids with low porosity.

Aco 0-20cm

Clear linear boundary; dry; brown (7.5YR 4/3) when moist; dull reddish brown (5YR 4/3) when dry; few angular coarse gravel; clay loam; coarse moderate angular blocky structure; slightly hard dry soil; common medium sized roots; dominant fine iron nodules; coarse voids with low porosity; common earthworms’ channels.

Btco 20-90cm

Clear linear boundary; slightly moist; dull reddish brown (5YR 4/4) when moist; very few angular medium gravel; silty clay; medium moderate angular blocky structure; firm moist soil; few medium roots; abundant fine iron nodules; medium voids with low porosity; common earthworms’ channels.

Ck 90-95cm

Clear discontinuous boundary; slightly moist; orange (7.5YR 7/6) when dry; many sub-rounded coarse gravel; silty clay loam; fine strong angular blocky structure; very friable moist soil; strongly calcareous; very few medium sized roots.

Rk >95cm

A 0-25cm

Abrupt boundary, pockets more deep than wide, dry, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) when moist, red (2.5YR 4/6) when dry, few angular medium gravels, silty clay, fine weak single grain structure, slightly hard consistence, few fine roots, fine voids, very low porosity.

A1 0-2cm

Abrupt linear boundary, dry, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) when moist or dry, many medium sub-rounded gravels, silty loam, medium strong granular structure, loose, very few fine roots, very coarse voids with low porosity, common biological features due to insects’ activity.

A2 3-15cm

Gradual boundary, dry, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) when moist and yellowish red (5YR 5/6) when dry, common medium sub-rounded gravels, loamy, coarse strong granular structure, soft, very few coarse roots, medium sized voids with low porosity, common biological features due to insects’ activity.

A3 (E) 16-35cm

Abrupt wavy boundary, slightly moist, reddish brown (5YR 4/4), many angular medium sized gravels, loamy, medium strong granular structure, firm, very few fine roots, very coarse voids with low porosity, few biological features due to insects’ activity.

Bt 36-80cm

Abrupt wavy boundary, slightly moist, red (2.5YR 4/6), many angular fine gravels, silty clay, very fine and very strong sub-angular prismatic structure, extremely firm, very few coarse roots, many clayey cutans located in between pedfaces, many medium sized mottles with clear reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) boundary, fine voids with very low porosity, few biological features due to insects’ activity.

Bw >81cm

Abrupt linear boundary, slightly moist, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6), abundant angular coarse gravels, silty clay loam, rocky structure, friable, very few medium sized roots, many fine mottles with sharp dark red (10R 3/6) boundary, fine voids with very low porosity.

Apk 0-10cm

Clear linear boundary; slightly moist; dark reddish gray (2.5Y 3/1) when moist; many sub-rounded coarse gravel; silty clay; massive structure; very firm; strongly calcareous; few medium sized roots; medium voids with low porosity; common charcoal.

Ak 10-35cm

Clear linear boundary; moist; brownish black (10YR 3/1) when moist; common sub-rounded coarse gravel; clay; firm; moderately calcareous; very few very fine roots; many shiny faces in-between pedfaces; fine voids with low porosity; few earthworms’ channels.

Ak-Ck 35-80cm

Clear wavy boundary; moist; brownish gray (7.5YR 4/1) when moist; common sub-rounded coarse gravel; clay; firm; medium moderate sub-angular prismatic structure; firm; moderately calcareous; very few very fine roots; common horizontal slickensides in-between pedfaces; common coarse diffuse mottles; fine voids with low porosity; few earthworms’ channels.

Ck >110

Moist; light gray (10YR 8/2) when moist; few angular coarse gravel; clay; friable; moderately calcareous; abundant coarse sharp mottles.

Ap 0-20cm

Diffuse linear boundary, dry, brown (7.5YR 5/4) when dry and dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) when moist, common sub-rounded coarse gravels, loamy, fine moderate granular structure, loose, very few medium sized roots, medium sized voids with medium porosity, few ants’ channels.

Ap-Bvco 21-45cm

Abrupt linear boundary, dry, brown (7.5YR 5/4) when dry and dark brown (7.5YR 4/4), many sub-rounded stones, loamy, fine moderate blocky structure, loose, very few medium sized roots, few very fine iron-manganese nodules, coarse voids with high porosity, few biological features due to insects’ activity.

Bvco 46-80cm

Diffuse wavy boundary, moist, yellowish red (5YR 5/6), many sub-rounded stones, clay loam, massive structure, hard, few medium sized roots, many very fine iron-manganese nodules, fine voids with very low porosity.

C-Bvco >81cm

Moist, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4), abundant sub-rounded boulders, clay loam, massive structure, hard, few coarse iron-manganese nodules, fine voids with very low porosity.

Ap 0-25cm

Abrupt linear boundary, dry, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) when moist and dark gray (5Y 4/1) when dry, few sub-rounded fine gravels, clayey, very coarse strong sub-angular blocky structure, slightly hard, few very fine roots, very few fine carbonate nodules, fine voids with medium porosity, common earthworms’ channels.

Bss1 26-80cm

Diffuse wavy boundary, slightly moist, very dark greyish brown (2.5Y 3/2), common sub-rounded medium gravels, silty clay loam, very coarse strong sub-angular blocky structure, firm, slightly calcareous, few very fine roots, very few pressure faces with no specific location, few fine carbonate nodules, fine voids with low porosity, few ants’ channels.

Bss2 81-115cm

Gradual wavy boundary, moist, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4), common sub-rounded medium gravels, clayey loam, very coarse strong sub-angular blocky structure, friable, strongly calcareous, few very fine roots, common fine carbonate nodules.

Ck >116cm

Moist, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4), many sub-rounded fine gravels, silty loam, coarse moderate angular and sub-angular blocky structure, very firm, extremely calcareous, many medium sized carbonate nodules.

Apk 0-25cm

Gradual nearly plane boundary, slightly moist, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) when moist, very few coarse gravel, silty clay loam, granular very fine moderate structure, firm, slightly calcareous, common fine roots, very few clay cutans on coarse fragments, fine voids, low porosity, few earthworm and termite or ant channels and nests.

Bssk1 25-60

Clear nearly plane boundary, slightly moist, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) when moist, very few fine gravel, clay, moderate fine granular structure, firm, slightly calcareous, few very fine roots, very few clay cutans on coarse fragments, very few very fine white (5Y 8/1) mottles with clear boundary.

Bssk2 60-160

Slightly moist, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) when moist, clay, moderate fine granular structure, firm, moderately calcareous, very few very fine roots, very few clay cutans on coarse fragments, very few very fine pale yellow (5Y 8/3) mottles with clear boundary.

Photo 22 - Vertisol

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