FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World, 1:5000000
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FAO-Unesco S oilmap of theiworld FAO-Unesco Soil map of the world 1: 5 000 000 Volume VII South Asia 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 VIIINorth and Central Asia Volume IX Southeast As la Volume X Australasia 11 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS IINESC UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION FAO-Unesco Soilmap of the world 1 : 5 000 000 Volume VII South Asia Prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Unesco-Paris 1977 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 Educa- tional, Scientific and Cultural Organization con- cerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Printed by Tipolitografia F. Failli, Rome for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Publishedin1977bytheUnitedNations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Place de Fontenoy, 75007 Paris © FAO/Unesco 1977 ISBN 92-3-101344-0 Printed in Italy PREFACE The project for ajoint FAo/Unesco Soil Map of information, correlating the studies and drafting the the World was undertaken following a recommen- maps and text.FAO and Unesco shared the expenses dation of the International Society of Soil Science. involved in the realization of the project, and Unesco It is the first attempt to prepare, on the basis of in- undertook publication of itsresults.The services ternational cooperation,asoil map coveringall of an associate expert were made available by the the continents of the world in a uniform legend, Government of the Netherlands to assist in the prep- thus enabling the correlation of soil units and com- aration of the Soil Map of South Asia. parisons on a global scale.The project, which started The present volume, covering the soils of South in 1961, fills a gap in present knowledge of soil po- Asia, is the seventh of a set of ten which rnake up tentialities throughout the world and provides a the complete publication of the Soil Map of the World. useful instrument in planning agricultural and eco- The first volume records introductory information nomic development programmes. and presents the definitions of the elements of the The project has been carried out under the scien- legend which is used uniformly throughout the pub- tific authority of an international advisory panel, lication.Each of the nine following volumes com- within the framework of FAO and Unesco programmes. prises an explanatory text and the corresponding The different stages of the work included com- map sheets covering the main regions of the world. parative studies of soil maps, field and laboratory FAO and Unesco wish to express their gratitude work, and the organization of international expert to the government institutions,the International meetings and study tours.The secretariat of the joint Society of Soil Science, and the many individual soil project, located at FAO Headquarters, was vested scientists who have contributed so much to this in- with the responsibility of compiling the technical ternational project. CONTENTS Preface I/ 6. Land use and soil suitability 56 A. Acrisols 57 Summary VII B. Cambisols 58 Podzoluvisols 60 English Rendzinas 60 French Ferralsols 60 Russian Gleysols 60 Spanish Phaeozems 61 Lithosols 61 Introduction Fluvisols 62 Kastanozems 63 Acknowledgements 4 L Luvisols 63 Nitosols 65 Histosols 65 The map 6 Podzols 66 Topographic base 6 Arenosols 66 Map units 6 Regosols 66 Cartographic representation 6 Solonetz 66 . 66 Sources of information .. 8 Andosols Rankers 67 Vertisols 67 Environmental conditions 13 Planosols 67 Xerosols 67 CLIMATE 13 Y. Yermosols 68 69 Climatic factors 13 Z. Solonchaks Climatic regions 17 Conclusions 69 VEGETATION 18 Appendix The broad vegetation regions 18 Morphological, chemical and physical proper- ties of South Asian soils: data from se- GEOMORPHOLOGY 23 lected profiles 73 GEOLOGY AND LITHOLOGY 26 Figures (at back of volume) Geologic history 26 1. Geological regions 27 Climatic regions 2.Vegetation regions 3.Geomorphological regions The soils of South Asia 35 4.Geological regions 5.Lithological regions Distribution of major soils 35 6.Broad soil regions SUMMARY This volume describes the South Asian section of of the world to another.Here only the higher the 1: 5 000 000 Soil Map of the World. categories are discussed.The main climatic regions are outlined on a small-scale map (Figure 1). Vegetation is discussed on the basis of 14 broad The maps vegetation regions which are subdivided into 34 The two map sheets which make up the Soil Map subregions and distinguished according to habitat of South Asia are drawn on topographic base maps (either climatic or edaphic) and the physiognomy of the 1: 5 000 000 series of the American Geo- and structure of the vegetation.The distribution graphical Society.The map units are associations of the vegetation regions is outlined on a small- of soil units divided into texture and slope classes. scale map (Figure 2).The text gives some brief notes They are marked on the maps by symbols.The on each region and on the location and nature of dominant soils are shown by colours while phase its subregions. differences are shown by overprints. Geomorphology and landscape development are A small inset map shows three grades of reliability then treated in terms of three main groups of morpho- of the soil information from which the map was structural regions: the Indian shield and the Indo- compiled. Gangetic plain, the Arabian shield and the associated Detailed definitions of the soil units and full de- Median zone, and the Tethys geosyncline. A small/- scriptions of all the terms used may be found in scale map (Figure 3) shows the geomorphological Volume I of the set. subregions. Geology is considered under the three regions men- tioned above, and lithology under 10 regions.There The text are two small-scale maps (Figures 4 and 5), one of The first chapter describes the development of geological regions, which are considered region by the project in South Asia and gives some notes on region in the text, and the other of lithological uses of the map.The second acknowledges the regions.The text outlines the geological origins and cooperation of the agencies and the many persons nature of the main surfaces at present exposed. who contributed to the maps and text, and the third gives a summary of the material in Volume I SOILS AND LAND USE on the map units, legend and sources of information. The main chapters of this volume deal with envi- Chapters 5 and 6, describing the soils of the sub- ronmental conditions, soil distribution and land use. continent, contain an extensive tab/e of soil asso- ciations, an account of the distribution of the main soils, and a discussion of land use and soil suitabilities ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS for agriculture. Chapter 4 contains brief accounts of the four The table of soil associations lists all the map units environmental factors which influence the develop- in alphabetical order of symbols.Other columns ment and use of soils: climate, vegetation, geomor- show: phology and geology and lithology. Associated soils Climate is discussed on the basis of eight broad Inclusions climatic regions.Since the criteria used in delimit- Phases ing units are those that are important to crop growth, Areas of units in 1 000 hectares the climatic map is supplementary to the soil map Climate symbols in the transfer of crop information from one part Countries of occurrence viii SOIL MAP OF SOUTH ASIA The distribution of major soils is discussed on the CONCLUSIONS basis of 19 broad soil regions, which are outlined on a small-scale map (Figure 6).The main soils of A general outline of the distribution of main soil each region are discussed in relation to factors of the units and their land use is given at the end of Chap- ter 6.Arid soils with rough grazing and shallow environm ent mountain soils cover about 60% of South Asia. Present land use and suitabilities for agriculture Soils considered as suitable for agriculture where are discussed at first in general.Then the main topography is not a limiting factor cover some 40% soils are considered separately, their present use of the area. being described and thesuitabilityof the land outlined. The Appendix The cultivated land is managed generally in small units by traditional methods, yielding only slightly Site and profile data, including profile descriptions over subsistence.Substantial increases in agricul- and analyses, are given in the Appendix for some of tural production are therefore possible by making the main soil units.For easier reference, the soil better use of soils. profiles are listed in alphabetical order of symbols. RESUME Le present volume décrit la partie relative à l'Asie Le climat est traité sur la base de huit grandes du Sud de la Carte mondiale des sols au 1: 5 000 000. regions climatiques. Etant donne qu'on a utilise comme critères pour la determination des unites pé- dologiques, ceux qui sont importants pour la crois- Les cartes sance des plantes, la carte des climats complete la carte des sols pour le transfert des renseignements Les deux feuilles qui constituent la carte des sots sur les cultures, d'une partie du monde A, l'autre. de l'Asie du Sud ont été établies d'après le fond On n'a examine ici que les grandes categories.