Soil subgroup

Criandept lítico

It has continuous rock (lithic contact) within 50 cm: it is a shallow soil.

Criandept 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 Criand (Andisol).

What the name says

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

Taxonomic orderInceptisolSoil young, with some development below the surface (a cambic horizon) but without the clay accumulation or dark surface that would define other orders.
SuborderAndeptInceptisol formed on volcanic ash.
Great groupCriandeptWithin the Andept suborder, it It's cold weather.
SubgrouplíticoIt has continuous rock (lithic contact) within 50 cm: it is a shallow soil.

What it means for farming

Intermediate aptitude and very dependent on location. In Argentina there are many Acueptes: Inceptisoles with excess water, often saline or sodic.

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 313.935 ha, spread over 4 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
Santa Cruz312.649 ha
Chubut1.286 ha

Districts where it is most common

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