Aridisol
Aridisol | |
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![]() an aridisol profile | |
Used in | USDA soil taxonomy |
Key process | soil carbon oxidation |
Climate | desert, semi-arid |
Aridisols (or desert soils) are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy.[1] Aridisols (from the Latin aridus, for "dry", and solum) form in an arid or semi-arid climate. Aridisols dominate the deserts and xeric shrublands, which occupy about one third of the Earth's land surface. Aridisols have a very low concentration of organic matter, reflecting the paucity of vegetative production on these dry soils. Water deficiency is the major defining characteristic of Aridisols. Also required is sufficient age to exhibit subsoil weathering and development. Limited leaching in aridisols often results in one or more subsurface soil horizons in which suspended or dissolved minerals have been deposited: silicate clays, sodium, calcium carbonate, gypsum or soluble salts. These subsoil horizons can also be cemented by carbonates, gypsum or silica. Accumulation of salts on the surface can result in salinization.
In the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), most Aridisols belong to the Calcisols, Gypsisols, Durisols and Solonchaks.[2]
See also
References
- "Aridisols". University of Florida. Archived from the original on September 16, 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-14.
- "Aridisols". University of Idaho. Archived from the original on 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2006-05-14.
- v
- t
- e
for Soil Resources (1998–)
- Acrisols
- Alisols
- Andosols
- Anthrosols
- Arenosols
- Calcisols
- Cambisols
- Chernozem
- Cryosols
- Durisols
- Ferralsols
- Fluvisols
- Gleysols
- Gypsisols
- Histosol
- Kastanozems
- Leptosols
- Lixisols
- Luvisols
- Nitisols
- Phaeozems
- Planosols
- Plinthosols
- Podzols
- Regosols
- Retisols
- Solonchaks
- Solonetz
- Stagnosol
- Technosols
- Umbrisols
- Vertisols
- FAO soil classification (1974–1998)
- Unified Soil Classification System
- AASHTO Soil Classification System
- Référentiel pédologique (French classification system)
- Canadian system of soil classification
- Australian Soil Classification
- Polish Soil Classification
- 1938 USDA soil taxonomy
- List of U.S. state soils
- List of vineyard soil types
- Sand
- Silt
- Clay
- Loam
- Topsoil
- Subsoil
- Soil crust
- Claypan
- Hardpan
- Gypcrust
- Caliche
- Parent material
- Pedosphere
- Laimosphere
- Rhizosphere
- Bulk soil
- Alkali soil
- Bay mud
- Blue goo
- Brickearth
- Brown earth
- Calcareous grassland
- Dark earth
- Dry quicksand
- Duplex soil
- Eluvium
- Expansive clay
- Fill dirt
- Fuller's earth
- Hydrophobic soil
- Loess
- Lunar soil
- Martian soil
- Mud
- Muskeg
- Paleosol
- Peat
- Prime farmland
- Quicksand
- Serpentine soil
- Spodic soil
- Stagnogley
- Subaqueous soil
- Takir
- Terra preta
- Terra rossa
- Tropical peat
- Yedoma
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png)