Soil subgroup
Haplargid lítico xerólico
It is less dry than the typical one: it is close to the Xeroles, Molisoles Mediterranean climate.
What the name says
Soil Taxonomy names are built from parts, and each part says something about the soil. From general to specific:
| Taxonomic order | Aridisol | Soil 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. |
|---|---|---|
| Suborder | Argid | Aridisol with a clay accumulation horizon, inherited from a more humid past climate. |
| Great group | Haplargid | Within the Argid suborder, it It is the simplest of the suborder: it does not have a clay horizon or any other feature that places it in a more specific group.. |
| Subgroup | lítico | It has continuous rock (lithic contact) within 50 cm: it is a shallow soil. |
| Subgroup | xerólico | It is less dry than the typical one: it is close to the Xeroles, Molisoles Mediterranean 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
- Moderate
- Typical effective depth
- 30 cm
Where it is found
According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 1.274.140 ha, spread over 7 districts.
Loading map…
National map units that list it. The scale is 1:500.000: good for seeing the region, not a single property.
| Province | Area |
|---|---|
| Río Negro | 997.280 ha |
| Chubut | 276.860 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 28.5 (low); half of the units fall between 17 and 40.
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.
Other Haplargid 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
- Soil Survey Staff. (2014). Claves para la Taxonomía de Suelos, 12.ª edición. USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service. · Dominio público (USDA)
- INTA · Dominio público (carta 1:500.000)