Soil Orders Chart PDF

# Soil Orders | Soil Order | Grouped by: | Typical Location | Description | |---|---|---|---| | Alfisols (alf) | Vegetation | deciduous forests of temperate moist climates | A horizon typically light colored, slightly to moderately acidic, (>35%) moderate base saturation | | Mollisols (oll) | Veget...

# Soil Orders | Soil Order | Grouped by: | Typical Location | Description | |---|---|---|---| | Alfisols (alf) | Vegetation | deciduous forests of temperate moist climates | A horizon typically light colored, slightly to moderately acidic, (>35%) moderate base saturation | | Mollisols (oll) | Vegetation | grasslands | deep, dark A horizon with high base saturation | | Spodosols (od) | Vegetation | coniferous forest soils in cool moist conditions | light-colored acid coarse (sandy) soils, often lacking A horizon. Thick bright E horizon | | Andisols (and) | Parent Materials | recent volcanic materials, contains volcanic glass | lightweight, dark-colored | | Vertisols (vert) | Parent Materials | parent material high in clay, floodplains | cracks from shrink/swell | | Histosols (ist) | Parent Materials | wetlands | decaying organic matter 20+%, low bulk density, high % pore space | | Aridisols (id) | Climate | arid climates - cool to hot deserts and shrublands | calcium carbonate in subsoil | | Oxisols (ox) | Climate | tropical rainforest - hot and wet | highly weathered, subsurface horizon leached, high in aluminum | | Gelisols (el) | Climate | cold soils of tundra, cold desert, or high peaks | permafrost layer or frozen 2 m of surface | | Inceptisols (ept) | Age "toddler" | often humid regions | minimal horizon development, may have weak B horizon | | Ultisols (ult) | Age "old" | warm, humid climates | highly weathered, acidic, low base saturation, subsoil has illuviated clay | | Entisols (ent) | Age "baby soils" | young or form in climate extremes or resistant parent material | lack well-developed horizons | # Agricultural Use | Agricultural Use | Typical Profile | |---|---| | good | O-A-E-Bt-C | | richest soil for agriculture, but often lacks rainfall | Ap-A1-A2-Bw-C | | very poor | O-E-BS-C | | good for agriculture, but low phosphorus availability | A1-A2-Bw-C | | good fertile soil for agriculture, but can be a challenge to till | A1-A2-A3-C | | carbon sink | 01-02-03-C | | poor | A-Bt-Ck or Ckm, Cy, Cz | | Low fertility | A-B01-B02-C | | very large carbon sink | A-O-Cf | | Cropland, forest, range | A-Bw-C | | infertile, can be limed and fertilized for agriculture | A-E-Bt-C | | Range, cropland, forest, wetlands | A-C |