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.
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.)
DO Rías Baixas in Galicia
Shallow, sandy soils, some granite. Some alluvial soil along Miño river.
DO Ribeira Sacra in Galicia
Miño river: slate
Sil and Bibei rivers: granite
DO Ribeiro in Galicia
~70% granite, rich in organic matter.
~20% schist
~10% sedimentary
DO Valdeorras in Galicia
Mainly shallow slate topsoil atop quartzite and schist bedrock
Asturias
Limestone mountains give way to well-drained slate soils.
VC Cangas: mostly shale with sandstone
Cantabria
Limestone mountains, more shale and sandstone in the valley floors. Very fertile and better for apple trees and sidra (cider) production.
País Vasco
Guipúzcoa (E): sandy topsoil, alluvial clay subsoil.
Vizcaya (W): shallow, slightly acidic clay-loam topsoil, limestone subsoil.
Álava (S): alluvial, gravelly clay.
DO Arabako Txakolina in País Vasco
Limestone with stone and clay. All DOs are rich in organic matter.
DO Bizkaiko Txakolina in País Vasco
Clay-loam, limestone and marl. All DOs are rich in organic matter.
DO Getariako Txakolina in País Vasco
Sandy topsoil with alluvial clay subsoil. All DOs are rich in organic matter.
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.
DO Bierzo in Castilla y León
Granite, limestone, quartzite, slate
DO Cigales in Castilla y León
Sand and limestone topsoil, clay and loam subsoil.
DO Ribeira del Duero in Castilla y León
32 different soil types.
Mainly sandy limestone and clay.
DO Rueda in Castilla y León
Gravel and stone, sandy limestone, limestone.
DO Toro in Castilla y León
Sand and clay with limestone
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.
Rioja Alavesa
Calcareous (chalky) clay, high limestone content: poor soil, difficult to cultivate and irrigate.
Rioja Alta
The most diverse. The bit north of the Ebro is calcareous clay. The rest is alluvium and ferrous clay.
Rioja Oriental
Alluvium and ferrous clay.
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.
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.
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.
