Questions and Answers
What are alfisols?
Soils with high-base-content B horizon rich in eluviated clay, found from low to subarctic latitudes.
What are aridisols?
Soils in dry climates that are low in organic matter and frequently have subsurface horizons rich in calcium carbonate or soluble salts.
What are mollisols?
Soils in semi-arid/subhumid grasslands in midlatitudes that have humus-rich A horizon and a B horizon that has a high base status.
What are oxisols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are ultisols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are spodosols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are vertisols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are gelisols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are histosols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are andisols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are entisols?
Signup and view all the answers
What are inceptisols?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these are classified as well-developed mineral soils?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these are classified as organic soils?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these are classified as weakly developed soils?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these soil types are characterized by maturity?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these soil types are characterized by climate?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these soil types are characterized by parent material?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Soil Orders Overview
- Alfisols: High base content in B horizon; rich in eluviated clay; typically found from low to subarctic latitudes.
- Aridisols: Present in dry climates; low organic matter; subsurface horizons may be rich in calcium carbonate or soluble salts.
- Mollisols: Found in semi-arid/subhumid grasslands of midlatitudes; characterized by a humus-rich A horizon and high base status B horizon.
- Oxisols: Highly weathered soils of tropics; low base status; notable for high oxide concentration in the subsurface horizon.
- Ultisols: Similar to oxisols; highly weathered in tropical/subtropical areas; low base content; rich in eluviated clay in the subsurface.
- Spodosols: Located in cool, moist environments; features a B horizon rich in eluviated sesquioxides.
- Vertisols: Found in tropical/subtropical regions; high base status with abundant expandable clay; experiences notable swelling when wet and shrinking when dry.
- Gelisols: Organic soils from extremely cold environments; typically have chaotic horizons due to permafrost and freeze-thaw cycles.
- Histosols: Very dark, organic matter-heavy soils; found in cool/moist areas where organic decomposition occurs slowly.
- Andisols: Formed from volcanic glass sediments; weakly developed soils often associated with active volcanoes.
- Entisols: Horizonless soils typically arising from recent sediment deposits; characterized by minimal soil profile development.
- Inceptisols: Exhibit poorly developed horizons but indicate a potential for further evolution.
Categories of Soil Types
- Well-developed mineral soils: Includes alfisols, aridisols, mollisols, oxisols, ultisols, spodosols, and vertisols.
- Organic soils: Comprises gelisols and histosols, rich in organic material.
- Weakly developed soils: Encompasses andisols, entisols, and inceptisols which show limited profile development.
Characteristics Based on Maturity and Climate
- Maturity: Entisols, inceptisols, alfisols, ultisols, spodosols, and oxisols exhibit varying degrees of soil maturity.
- Climate Influence: Mollisols, aridisols, and gelisols are strongly influenced by their climatic contexts.
- Parent Material Influence: Vertisols, andisols, and histosols are characterized by their specific parent material properties.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the twelve soil orders with these informative flashcards. Each card presents a different soil order, including definitions and key characteristics. Ideal for students studying soil science and agronomy.