Types of soils and their main characteristics

The floor It is a porous, biologically active, structured and is developed in the Earth surface. The soil includes those superficial materials of The geosphere (solid part of the planet) biologically active. It differs from the rocks in which it includes inorganic matter (mineral, water, gases) and organic (humus) that are being transformed, which gives rise to its structuring and organization in horizons.

It has a very important role because it meets ecological functions Important, is the habitat of many living beings, regulates the hydrological cycle and the climate and participates in the biogeochemical recycling (such as the carbon, nitrogen cycle, etc.).

Therefore, we must be aware of the pollution that we produce, which affects all living beings on the planet. In ecology, we have prepared this other article on how to avoid soil pollution.

The soils and their characteristics can vary spatially, both laterally and vertically. Vertical variability is defined by the presence of different levels with different characteristics and properties, forming a sequence of horizons that constitutes the EDOFIC PROFILE OR SOLUM.

Therefore, horizons are more or less parallel levels to the surface with some characteristics that differentiate them from others but are related.

The soil begins to form when a rock is exposed to the atmosphere, and begins to be colonized by lichens and when its minerals begin to break down physically and chemically. This process is known as putorization. This results in the formation of horizons A and C.

• Horizon A: It is the most superficial horizon and is formed by biological activity as a result of the implementation of vegetation.
• Horizon B: also called accumulation horizon. Its origin is a consequence of the processes of translocation and transformation of the materials of the horizons A and B. In it accumulates products of new alteration and formation.
• Horizon C: It is the deepest (located after b) and is made up of the mother rock and fragments derived from weathering.

There are several Soil classification systems (Kubiena, French, Soil Taxonomy-Use, WRB-FAO/UNESCO), but recently, in 2006 FAO, ISR/World Soil Information and the International Union of Soil Science developed a new version of the reference base for the floors of the world (WBR). Currently, it is the official soil classification system in the European Union and establishes the following Types of soils:

Organic soils

• Histosoles: constituted by vegetable remains little or nothing decomposed, with or without mixture of sand, silt or clay, in conditions of excess water. Typically they appear on mobs or basks.

Soils conditioned by anthropic influences

• Antrosoles: formed by land mobilizations, accumulation of debris, residual sludge or stress contributions or with agricultural use.
• Tecnosols: developed soils on manufacturing, construction or mining waste.

Low evolution soils very conditioned by the weather

• Criosoles: They are permanently frozen (permafrost).

Low evolution soils very conditioned by the original material

• Andosoles: With a high content of amorphous materials or low crystallinity from pyroclastic volcanic materials. They are found in almost any climate.
• Arenosoles: sandy soils.
• VERTISOLS: Very clay soils.

Other soils of moderate evolution

• Hiring: rich soils in organic matter and acids.
• Cambisols: They are characterized by weathering or initial material.

Soils conditioned by topography and water

• LEPTOSOLS: They are very shallow soils on continuous rock and extremely gravillose and/or stony soils (Litosoles).
• Regosols: They are very weak mineral soils.
• Fluvisols: They are located near the rivers and have a stratified profile where the amount of organic matter decreases irregularly or is abundant in very deep areas.
• GLESOLES: Soils with water permanently (or almost) in the first 50 cm. There is reduction of iron oxides and can have reddish, brownish or yellowish or grayish/bluish colors.
• Stagnosoles: They are soils with a layer of water that allow intense reduction conditions and due to the washing of the water produced by the water can have albic or whitish horizons.
• PLANOSOLS: They are soils with a clear superficial horizon that shows signs of periodic water stagnation that abruptly passes to a horizon with significant increase in clay with respect to the superficial horizon.

Typically soils of arid or semi -arid climate

• Solchaks: Soils with a high content of soluble salts (halite, plaster) and humus.
• SOLONETZ: rare and have high proportions of sodium and/or magnesium.
• Calcisols: Soils with calcium carbonate accumulations.
• Gypsisles: Soils with plaster accumulations.
• Durisoles: Silica soils.

Typically soils of steppe environment

• Chernozems: cold steppe environments. Dark or black brown superficial horizon due to the accumulation of organic matter and can have calcium carbonate in the deepest horizons.
• Kastanoezems: Star and warm steppe environments. Superficial brown horizon because there is less accumulation of organic matter.
• Phaeoezems: warmer and more humid steppe environments. Similar to the previous ones, but without calcium carbonate.

Soils with a clay subsoil

• ALBELUVISOLES: It presents horizons with impoverishing minerals due to its eliver by the passage of water.
• Alisols: Very acidic soils. In any climate excluding tropical and subtropical.
• Acrisols: Advanced Degree of Meterization. Only in tropical and subtropical climates.
• Luvisoles and Lixisols. They are similar, although they differ in the type of clays they present.

Typically soils of tropical and subtropical climate

• Nititus: Red tropical soils, deep, well drained with a clay subsurface horizon with sodium. Rich in iron.
• FERRALSOLES: They are the classic soils of the humid tropics, deeply weathering and with red or yellow colors. They are usually clayey high in iron and aluminum compounds.
• Plintosoles: Soils with hardened scabs, iron and quartz.

SUses typically of cold and humid climate

• Podzoles: They have a characteristic B horizon called Spanish and is composed of organic matter, aluminum and iron.

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