Mexico and Central America FAO-Unesco Soil Map of the World

FA 0-Unesco Soilmap of the world 1:5 000 000 Volume III Mexico and CentralAmerica FAO- Unesco Soil map of the world 1: 5 000 000 Volume II f Mexico and Central America FAO-Unesco Soil map of the world Volume I Legend Volume II North America Volume III Mexico and Central America Volume IV South America Volume V Europe Volume VI Africa Volume VII South Asia Volume VIII North and Central Asia Volume IX Southeast Asia Volume X Australasia FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS 11 Es 11 cip UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION FAO-Unesco Soilmap of the world :5 000 000 Volume III Mexico and Central America Prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Unesco-Paris 1975 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or theUnited Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area orof its authori- ties, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. ../.,/,MI Printed by Tipolitografia F. Failli, Rotne for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Published in 1975 by the United Nations Educational. Scientific and Cultural Organization Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris FAO/Unesco 1975 ISBN 92 - 3 - 101127 - Printed in Italy PREFACE The project for a joint FAo/Unesco Soil Map of maps and text.FAO and Unesco shared the expenses the World was undertaken following a recommen- involved in the realization of the project, and Unesco dation of the International Society of Soil Science. undertook publication of its results.For the prepa- It is the first attempt to prepare, on the basis of in- rationof the Soil Map of Mexico and Central ternationalcooperation,asoil map coveringall America,the servicesofassociateexperts were the continents of the world in a uniform legend, made available by the Governments of Belgium and thus enabling the correlation of soil units and com- the Netherlands to work on the project. parisons on a global scale.The project, which start- The present volume, covering the soils of Mexico. ed in 1961, fills a gap in present knowledge of soil po- Central America and the Caribbean islands, is the tentialitiesthroughout the world and providesa third of a set of ten which make up the complete useful instrument in planning agricultural and eco- publication of theSoil Map of the World.The nomic development programmes. first volume records introductory information and The project has been carried out under the scien- presents the definitions of the elements of the legend tificauthority- of an international advisory panel, which is used uniformly throughout the publication. withinthe framework of FAO and Unesco pro- Each of the nine following volumes comprises an grammes.The different stages of the work included explanatory text and the corresponding map sheets comparative studies of soil maps, field and labora- covering the main regions of the world. tory work, and the organization of international expert FAO and Unesco wish to express their gratitude meetings and study tours.The secretariat of the tothe governmentinstitutions, theInternational joint project, located at FAO headquarters, was vested Society of Soil Science, and the many individual soil with the responsibility of compiling the technical scientists who have contributed so much to this in- information, correlating the studies and drafting the ternational project. CONTENTS 50 Preface 6. Land use and soil suitability Acrisols 51 VII Summaries Cambisols 53 English VII E.Rendzinas 54 French IX F.Ferralsols 54 Russian XI G.Gleysols 54 Spanish XIII H.Phaeozems 55 Lithosols 55 Fluvisols 55 1.Introduction Kastanozems 56 Luvisols 56 2.Acknowledgements 4 N.Nitosols 57 O.Histosols 58 3.The map 6 P. Podzols 58 Arenosols 58 Topographic base . 6 Regosols 58 Map units 6 Solonetz 59 Cartographic representation 6 Andosols 59 Sources of information 8 Vertisols 60 Planosols 61 4.Environmental conditions 10 X.Xerosols 61 Yermosols 62 CLIMATE 10 Solonchaks 62 10 Climatic:factors Conclusions 62 Climatic:regions 11 VEGETATION 17 22 GEOLOGY Appendix PHYSIOGRAPHY AND LITHOLOGY 23 Mountain ranges 25 Morphological, chemical and physical proper- Plateaus 29 ties of Mexican and Central American Depressions 30 soils: data from selected profiles 64 Plains 30 Caribbean islands 31 Summary 33 Figures Sources of information 8 5. The soils of Mexico and Central America 36 Climatic regions 12 Distribution of major soils 36 3.Broad vegetation regions. 18 Highlands 37 4.Physiographic regions 24 Lowlands 46 5.Lithological map 26 Caribbean islands. 48 6.Broad soil regions. 42 vi SUMMARY This volume describesthe Mexican and Central Climate is discussed on the basis of six broad cli- American section of the 1: 5 000 000 Soil Map of matic subdivisions.Since the criteria used in delimit- the World.The compilation of the Soil Map of ing units are those that are important to crop growth, Mexico and Central America was completed by FAO the climatic map is supplementary to the soil map and Unesco in a joint project initiated in 1961. in the transfer of crop information from one part of the world to another.Here only the higher categories are discussed.The main climatic regions are The map outlined on a small-scale map (Figure 2). The map sheet which makes up the Soil Map of drawn on topo- Vegetation is discussed on the basis of 15 broad Mexico and Central America is regions, which are outlined on a small-scale map graphic base maps of the 1 : 5 000 000 series of the (Figure 3).The textgives some brief notes on American Geographical Society.The map units are the ecological conditions, main plant species and associations of soil units divided into texture and distribution of the vegetation regions. slope classes.They are marked on the map by symbols.The dominant soilsare shown by colours Geology, physiography and lithology are discussed while phase differences are shown by overprints. in relation to major land forms.Physiography (Fig- A small inset map shows three grades of reliability ure 4) and lithology (Figure 5) are also dealt with of soil information from which the map was com- in relation to the nature and distribution of soil piled (Figure 1). parent materials. Detailed definitions of the soil units and full des- criptions of all the terms used may be found in Volume I of the set. SOILS AND LAND USE Chapter 5,describing the soilsof Mexico and The text Central America, contains an extensive table of soil associations and an account of the distribution of The first chapter describes the development of the the main soils.Chapter 6 discusses land use and project in Mexico and Central America and gives soil suitabilities for agriculture. The second acknowl- some notes on uses of the map. The table of soil associations lists all the map units edges the cooperation of the agencies and of the in alphabetical order of symbols.Other columns large number of people who contributed to the maps show: and text, and the third gives a summary of the material in Volume I on the maps and legend. Associated soils The principal chapters of this volume deal with Inclusions environmental conditions, soils, and land use and Phases soil suitability. Areas of units in1 000 hectares Countries of occurrence ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS The distribution of major soils is discussed on the Chapter 4 contains brief accounts, with maps, of basis of three broad soil regions the continental the four factors of the environment that have close highlands and lowlands, and the Caribbean islands relationships with the pattern of soils: climate, vege- and outlined on a small-scale map (Figure 6).The tation, geology, and physiography and lithology. main soils of each region are discussed in relation vil to factors of the environment, and their important ern farmingsystems.Thenthemainsoilsare characteristics are noted. considered separately, with a description of their Present land use and suitability for agriculture are present use and the suitability of the land for both discussed, with an account of traditional and mod- traditional and modern farming. RtSUMC Le present volume décritla section Mexique et Le principaux chapitres de ce volume traitent du Amérique centrale de la Carte mondiale des sols au milieu, delarépartition, de l'utilisationet de la 1 : 5 000 000. La Carte des sols du Mexique et de vocation des sols. l'Amérique centrale a Re réalisée par la FAO et l'Unesco, dans le cadre d'un projet conjoint lance en 1961. LE MILIEU Le chapitre 4 traite brievement, a l'aide de cartes, des quatre facteurs du milieu dont depend étroite- La carte ment la répartition des sols: cIimat, vegetation, géo- logie, et physiographie et lithologie. La feuille cartographique qui constitue la Carte Le clitnat est traité sur la base de six grandes sub- des sols du Mexique et de l'Amérique centrale a divisions climatiques. Etant donne que pour delimiter etéétablied'aprèslesfonds topographiques au ces unites on a retenu les criteres les plus importants 1 : 5 000 000 de l'American Geographical Society. pour la croissance des plantes, la carte climatique Les unites cartographiques sont desassociations complete la carte des sols et doit étre consultée pour d'unités pédologiques subdivisées scion les classes de le transfert des données sur les cultures d'une partie texture et de pente. Elles sont indiquées sur la carte du monde à une autre. Il n'est tenu compte ici que par des symboles. Les sols dominants sont représen- des categories supérieures.

Load more