Soil subgroup
Paleargid petrocálcico
It has a petrocalcic horizon—the calcareous hardpan: cemented calcium carbonate—within the meter and a half. Limits the useful depth for roots and water.
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 | Paleargid | Within the Argid suborder, it is very old and evolved: very thick clay horizon, or a petrocalcic horizon (calcareous hardpan) indicating a long time of formation. |
| Subgroup | petrocálcico | It has a petrocalcic horizon—the calcareous hardpan: cemented calcium carbonate—within the meter and a half. Limits the useful depth for roots and water. |
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).
Frequent on the Patagonian plateau: old clay horizon, often on calcareous hardpan or cemented boulders.
- Most common surface texture
- Sandy loam
- Most common drainage
- Well drained
- Typical effective depth
- 36 cm
Where it is found
According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 2.404.566 ha, spread over 41 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.
| Province | Area |
|---|---|
| Río Negro | 1.301.756 ha |
| Catamarca | 419.931 ha |
| Salta | 286.273 ha |
| Jujuy | 267.148 ha |
| Neuquén | 126.280 ha |
| Tucumán | 3.178 ha |
Districts where it is most common
- Antofagasta de la Sierra · Catamarca
- San Antonio · Río Negro
- Valcheta · Río Negro
- 9 de Julio · Río Negro
- Avellaneda · Río Negro
- Los Andes · Salta
- General Roca · Río Negro
- El Cuy · Río Negro
- Susques · Jujuy
- Tinogasta · Catamarca
- Humahuaca · Jujuy
- 25 de Mayo · Río Negro
- Adolfo Alsina · Río Negro
- Yavi · Jujuy
- La Poma · Salta
- Añelo · Neuquén
- Confluencia · Neuquén
- Cachi · Salta
- Rinconada · Jujuy
- San Carlos · Salta
How productive it is
Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 40 (average); half of the units fall between 40 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 Paleargid 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)