Soil great group

Glosacualf

Of the Acualf suborder; it has tongues of clear, washed material that penetrate the clay horizon.

What the name says

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

Taxonomic orderAlfisolSoil with a clay accumulation horizon (argillic or natric) and good base saturation, but without the thick, dark surface of a Molisol.
SuborderAcualfAlfisol with excess water: saturated near the surface part of the year, with redox depletions.
Great groupGlosacualfWithin the Acualf suborder, it has tongues of clear, washed material that penetrate the clay horizon.

What it means for farming

Acceptable fertility, but the surface layer is thinner and poor in organic matter. In the Pampas region many Alfisoles are sodic or floodable (Natracualfes) and are left for livestock.

Most common surface texture
Sandy loam
Most common drainage
Imperfectly drain
Typical effective depth
75 cm

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 410.567 ha, spread over 12 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
Corrientes359.488 ha
Chaco51.079 ha

Districts where it is most common

It also appears on the detailed maps of: Entre Ríos.

Subgroups on the maps

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