Soil Atlas of Latin America and the Caribbean 20122012 Supporting the sustainable use of soil LOGO OF SASSS Soil in Latin America In most people’s mind, the typical soils of Latin America are red in colour, deeply weathered and under tropical rain forests. However, the truth is very different. South and Central America posseses a tremendous range of soils that provide a range of life-critical environmental goods and services to humans, and the plant as a whole. (XX) Soil is one of the fundamental components This calendar and the related Soil Atlas of for supporting life on the planet. Latin America and the Caribbean are initiatives under the EUROCLIMA Plants and crops are dependent on soil for the programme, which aims to encourage supply of water, nutrients and as a medium for cooperation between Latin America and the growing. EU on climate change issues. Soil stores, filters, buffers and The main partners are the European transforms substances that are introduced into Commission (Joint Research Centre and the environment. This capability is crucial in EuropeAid Development and Cooperation), the producing and protecting water supplies and for South American Soil Science Society, The Food regulating greenhouse and Agricultural Organization of the United gases. Nations and soil scientists from both Europe, South America and the Caribbean. The calendar Soil is a provider of raw materials. aims to bring the soils of the region to the attention of everyone who deals with this critical Soil is also an incredible habitat and gene pool – non-renewable, natural resource that is vital for in excess of 5 tonnes of live organisms can exist food and fibre production, a range of ecosystem in a hectare of arable soil. services and sustainable development. Soil is a fundamental component of our The environment of the region is enormously landscape and cultural heritage. diverse, from deserts and seasonally dry regions in the west to the vast tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin, and from coastal lowlands with mangroves to the high mountain ranges and volcanoes of the Andes. Southern parts of the (EM) continent are covered by extensive grasslands. Soil characteristics change significantly with depth. Broken-up As a consequence, the range of soils is Colour differences identify soil horizons reflecting Durisol in variations in the distribution of diverse materials. In the tremendously varied. South Africa. above example from xxxxxxx, a dark-coloured surface The field has horizon containing high levels of decaying vegetation been Soil names and terminology used in the calendar overlays a much redder horizon where clay associated prepared to is that of the World Reference Base for Soil with iron has accumulated. Below that, a whitish layer plant grape Resources 2006, a cooperative effort of the represents the desintegrating rock from which this soil vines. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United has formed, the so-called parent material. The name Nations, ISRIC-World Soil Information, and the for this type of soil is Haplic Luvisol (Chromic). International Union for Soil Sciences to arrive at a common language in soil science. This calendar highlights the diversity and richness of soil in Africa; it may help the reader to (EM) understand better the characteristics of soil in this part of the world. Ferralsols January 2012 (from Latin ferrum, iron, and aluminium) (ww) Termites colonize soils in the tropics by building up large hills and excavating deep burrows to fetch water and clay. The above photograph shows termites in action. (EM) Soils having a strongly weathered horizon with low-nutrient retention and very low amounts of weatherable minerals (ferralic horizon). They have a strongly micro-aggregated soil structure and are fairly porous. This combination makes them less susceptible to erosion than similar soils in the tropics. This profile from xxx shows a clear plough layer up to a depth of 30 cm. The large cavities in the plough layer are termite chambers. The mottled horizon below 1.20 m is plinthite, material that hardens upon repeated exposure to air and sunlight. Ferralsols are relatively common in Latin America and are Ferralsols occur in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, often associated with Acrisols. They cover around xx% of mainly on old and stable land surfaces. In South America, they the continent. occupy mainly the Amazon Basin. Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 6: 14: 21: 28: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Plinthosols (from Greek plinthos, meaning brick) February 2012 (JD) Plinthite material is used to harden road surfaces and airstrips, and, when soft, it can be cut into blocks that are used to construct buildings. The photograph above shows xxx. (OS) Soils having either a hardened layer of accumulated iron (hydr)oxides (petroplinthic horizon), or a strongly mottled layer with iron (hydr)oxides that hardens irreversibly (plinthic horizon) upon exposure to the air and sunlight. The profile above from xxx shows a Plinthosol practically devoid of vegetation. An indurated hard layer on top covers the soil below that predominantly consists of weakly cemented large iron nodules (buck shot) which can be mined. Plinthosols occur mainly in the moist tropical regions in low- lying positions where iron from the soil and adjacent uplands is accumulating. When hardened layers become exposed, they are highly resistant to erosion and become eventually the higher parts of the landscape. This phenomenon is known as landscape inversion. The map shows the location of areas where Plinthosols are the dominant soil. Plinthosols cover around 2% of the area shown on the map. Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 6: 14: 21: 28: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Andosols March 2012 (from Japanese an, meaning black, and do, meaning soil) Snow-covered summit of Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano (ISRIC) north of Nairobi. (ISRIC) Andosols form from volcanic ash, pumice, cinder and related parent materials. Many Andosols develop a thick, dark topsoil as a result of the fixing of organic substances by aluminium that is released from volcanic minerals. This profile from xxx still shows clear layering as a result of intermittent eruptions. Evidence of soil formation can be observed in the upper part of the soil (between 10 and 40 cm) where the accumulation of organic matter and homogenization has taken place. The difference in colour can be partly attributed to the weathering of iron-rich mineral (the reddish colours) and partly to the origin of the eruptive material. Andosols are highly productive soils but suffer from The map shows the location of areas where Andosols are phosphate fixation due to a high amount of active iron in the dominant soil. Andosols cover around 0.2% of the area the soil. shown on the map. Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 6: 14: 21: 28: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Phaozems April 2012 (from Greek phaios, meaning dusky and Russian zemlja, for earth or land) This picture shows a Phaozem area in Northern Morocco which (AR) is highly valued as agricultural land. The main source of the high organic content is the abundant grass vegetation. Phaeozems are the soils of warm, wet grassland areas and are (AR) characterized by a humus-rich surface layer. Phaeozems have a high content of available calcium ions bound to soil particles, resulting in a very permeable, well-aggregated structure. Due to the presence of at least one wet period during the year, Phaozems display an absence of calcium carbonate or salt accumulation in subsurface layers.. In the above example from xxx, the dark coloured surface horizon overlies a well-structured, chestnut brown subsoil, in which below 70 cm calcium carbonate has accumulated, mainly in the form of nodules. Phaeozems are found in the South American pampas, the North The map shows the location where Phaozems are the American prairies and the subtropical steppes of Asia. dominant soil. Phaozems cover around xx% of the area shown on the map. Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 6: 14: 21: 28: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Acrisols May 2012 (from Latin acer, very acid) (OS) Because of the low inherent fertility of Acrisols, many African farmers use slash-and-burn techniques to release nutrients from the vegetation and to counteract weeds. (OS) Soils having a subsurface horizon with distinctly higher clay content (argic horizon) than the overlying horizon. They have a low nutrient retention and a low base saturation (total amount of Ca, Mg, K and Na with respect to the cation exchange capacity). The photograph shows an Acrisol from Madagascar. The upper, yellowish coloured part has lost clay that has been leached down and been redeposited in the lower, reddish coloured part. The round pale spots are filled animal burrows (krotovinas). Acrisols are fairly susceptible to erosion and compaction because of their poorly developed soil structure. Many Acrisols are hard-setting when drying-out, which makes them very difficult to work with the conventional African farm implements like the hoe. Acrisols occur dominantly in the wetter parts of the tropics and subtropics and the warm temperate regions in relatively young The map shows the location of areas where Acrisols are the landscapes.