Soil subgroup

Calciortid ustólico

It is less dry than the typical one: it is close to Ustoles, Molisoles subhumid climate.

Calciortid is a name from the 1975 taxonomy, which many INTA soil survey maps were made with. The current edition no longer has this group: today it would be classified as Haplocalcid.

What the name says

Soil Taxonomy names are built from parts, and each part says something about the soil. From general to specific:

Taxonomic orderAridisolSoil arid climate: water is lacking most of the year and the profile accumulates what the rain cannot wash away (carbonates, gypsum, salts) or clay from more humid times.
SuborderOrtidAridisol without clay horizon.
Great groupCalciortidWithin the Ortid suborder, it has a calcic horizon: calcium carbonate buildup.
SubgroupustólicoIt is less dry than the typical one: it is close to Ustoles, Molisoles subhumid climate.

What it means for farming

Without irrigation there is no agriculture: they are soils of native woodland, extensive grazing or, with water, irrigated oases (Mendoza, San Juan, the valleys of the NOA).

Most common surface texture
Sandy loam
Most common drainage
Excessive
Typical effective depth
100 cm

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 403.358 ha, spread over 9 districts.

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National map units that list it. The scale is 1:500.000: good for seeing the region, not a single property.

ProvinceArea
Río Negro233.884 ha
Chubut147.152 ha
Córdoba22.322 ha

Districts where it is most common

Other Calciortid subgroups

Soils it shares map units with

Several soils share each map unit. These are the ones most often found alongside this one: on a property, you will likely find them in the nearby low ground or on the next rise.

The definitions are a plain-language summary of the USDA Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The formal definition includes thickness, color and percentage thresholds that are left out here.

Sources