Summary of soil types

Climate

Temperate
humid(>63
cm rainfall)
Forest

Temperate
dry(<63 cm
rainfall)
Grass and
brush

Typical
area
Soil Type
Topsoil

Eastern U.S.

Western U.S.

Pedalfer
Sandy,lightcolored;acid

Pedocal
Commonly
enriched in
calcite;whit
ish color

Subsoil

Enriched in
aluminum,iro
n, and clay;
brown color

Enriched in
calcite;
whitish color

Remarks

Extreme
development
in conofer
forests,
because
abundant
humus
makes
groundwater
very
acidic.Produc
es light gray
soil because
of removal of
iron

Vegetation

Extreme
Tropical(he arctic or
avy rainfall) desert
Grass and
Almost none,
trees
so no humus
develops

Laterite
ZONES NOT
DEVELOPED
Enriched in
iron, (and
aluminum);br
ick red color

Noreal soil
forms because
there is no
organic
material.Che
mical
weathering is
very slow.

ZONES NOT
DEVELOPED
All other
elements
removed by
leaching
Caliche is
Apparently
name
bacteria
applied to
destroy
the
humus, so no
accumulation acid is
of calcite
available to
remove iron

SUMMARY OF SOIL
TYPES