Learning objectives: soil types Flashcards
What is loam?
Typically 40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay.
Loam soils generally contain more nutrients, moisture, and humus than sandy soils, have better drainage and infiltration of water and air than silt- and clay-rich soils, and are easier to till than clay soils.
(Image credit: By cmglee, Mikenorton, United States Department of Agriculture - SoilTexture USDA.pngand http://nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/nrcs142p2_050242.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88418567)
What is marl?
An earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt.
Soils in:
Galicia
Coast: granite-based. Sandy, shallow, slightly acidic.
Inland along terraced river valleys: granite with clay.
Further inland: shallow slate, shale, granitic sand.
(Granite is ideal in the wet - porous and well drained.)
Soils in:
DO Rías Baixas in Galicia
Shallow, sandy soils, some granite. Some alluvial soil along Miño river.
Soils in:
DO Ribeira Sacra in Galicia
Miño river: slate
Sil and Bibei rivers: granite
Soils in:
DO Ribeiro in Galicia
~70% granite, rich in organic matter.
~20% schist
~10% sedimentary
Soils in:
DO Valdeorras in Galicia
Mainly shallow slate topsoil atop quartzite and schist bedrock
Soils in:
Asturias
Limestone mountains give way to well-drained slate soils.
VC Cangas: mostly shale with sandstone
Soils in:
Cantabria
Limestone mountains, more shale and sandstone in the valley floors. Very fertile and better for apple trees and sidra (cider) production.
Soils in:
País Vasco
Guipúzcoa (E): sandy topsoil, alluvial clay subsoil.
Vizcaya (W): shallow, slightly acidic clay-loam topsoil, limestone subsoil.
Álava (S): alluvial, gravelly clay.
Soils in:
DO Arabako Txakolina in País Vasco
Limestone with stone and clay. All DOs are rich in organic matter.
Soils in:
DO Bizkaiko Txakolina in País Vasco
Clay-loam, limestone and marl. All DOs are rich in organic matter.
Soils in:
DO Getariako Txakolina in País Vasco
Sandy topsoil with alluvial clay subsoil. All DOs are rich in organic matter.
Soils in:
Castilla y León
Diverse.
River valleys: clay, alluvium; or sandy-stony with some limestone. Mineral-laden. Only water retentive if clay is present.
Plains: brown limestone, clay loam and sand.
Some slate, quartz, granite. Some sandy and phylloxera-resistant.
Soils in:
DO Bierzo in Castilla y León
Granite, limestone, quartzite, slate
Soils in:
DO Cigales in Castilla y León
Sand and limestone topsoil, clay and loam subsoil.
Soils in:
DO Ribeira del Duero in Castilla y León
32 different soil types.
Mainly sandy limestone and clay.
Soils in:
DO Rueda in Castilla y León
Gravel and stone, sandy limestone, limestone.
Soils in:
DO Toro in Castilla y León
Sand and clay with limestone
Soils in:
Rioja
Calcareous (chalky) clay: 30%, N of Ebro in all of Rioja Alavesa and some of Rioja Alta, poor soil, difficult to cultivate and irrigate.
Ferrous clay: 25%, S of Ebro on low mountains, also lower hillsides in Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental, compact, vine roots slow to penetrate, slopes hard to cultivate and irrigate.
Alluvium, 45%: 1m thick over limestone hardpan, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental along banks of Ebro and tributaries, shallow soil prone to drought and waterlogging. Flat, mechanised.
Soils in:
Rioja Alavesa
Calcareous (chalky) clay, high limestone content: poor soil, difficult to cultivate and irrigate.
Soils in:
Rioja Alta
The most diverse. The bit north of the Ebro is calcareous clay. The rest is alluvium and ferrous clay.
Soils in:
Rioja Oriental
Alluvium and ferrous clay.
Soils in:
Ebro River Basin
Throughout: sedimentary loams, marls and sands.
N (numerous rivers): more alluvium.
S (nearer Sierra de la Demanda): more limestone.
Along Ebro: more clay.
Soils in:
DO Navarra in Ebro River Basin, and its subzones
Mainly marl, loam, sand. Some limestone in south. Clay along Ebro.
Differences from marl, loam, sand:
Tierra Estella (NW): clay, gravel.
Valdizarbe (NC): alluvium, less sand.
Baja Montaña (NE): limestone, gravel.
Ribera Alta (C): more clay, limestone (on high terraces).
Ribera Baja (S): limestone.
Soils in:
Aragón in Ebro River Basin
Diverse wine regions but similar soils. Limestone and clay, with surface scree of pebbles, stones and rocks. Pockets of slate, granite.