Soil subgroup
Vitrandept lítico
It has continuous rock (lithic contact) within 50 cm: it is a shallow soil.
Vitrandept 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 Vitrand (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 order | Inceptisol | Soil young, with some development below the surface (a cambic horizon) but without the clay accumulation or dark surface that would define other orders. |
|---|---|---|
| Suborder | Andept | Inceptisol formed on volcanic ash. |
| Great group | Vitrandept | Within the Andept suborder, it It has a lot of little altered volcanic glass. |
| Subgroup | lítico | It 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 178.597 ha, spread over 5 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 |
|---|---|
| Catamarca | 160.486 ha |
| Salta | 18.111 ha |
Districts where it is most common
Other Vitrandept 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)