Soil great group

Calcixerol

Of the Xerol suborder; it has a calcic horizon: calcium carbonate buildup.

What the name says

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

Taxonomic orderMolisolSoil with a thick, dark surface horizon rich in organic matter (the mollic epipedon), with more than half of its exchange capacity occupied by calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. It forms under grassland.
SuborderXerolMolisol Mediterranean climate (xeric moisture regime): it rains in winter and summer is dry.
Great groupCalcixerolWithin the Xerol suborder, it has a calcic horizon: calcium carbonate buildup.

What it means for farming

They are the soils agricultural lands par excellence: the Pampas grassland formed them and most of Argentine agriculture is done on them. They retain water and nutrients; its limitation, when there is one, is below: clay, sodium, calcareous hardpan or drainage.

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

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 554.191 ha, spread over 3 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
Chubut554.191 ha

Districts where it is most common

How productive it is

Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 16 (very low); half of the units fall between 16 and 56.

Taken from the maps that include this data. A map unit with several soils has a single index, and it is only attributed to the dominant soil.

Subgroups on the maps

  • Calcixerol arídico

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