TENERIFE SOIL PROFILES

PROFILE EUR11 - ES.T
Tenerife, Road “Boca Tauce-Guia de Isora  - february 2000

Date of description: 10-02-2000 Authors: A.G. Jongmans, and F. van Oort (based on the field guide of COST ACTION 622, Tenerife, 10-12 February. 2000, Edited by M. Tejedor and C.C. Jimenez). Location: Spain, Tenerife, Road “Boca Tauce-Guia de Isora (C823) between km 10-11 Altitude: 1675 m Co-ordinates: Map number and Co-ordinates:

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Classification:    WRB (2001) : Skeleti-Vitric Andosol (Orthieutric)
ST (1999) : Ashy-pumiceous, glassy, mesic Typic Vitrixerand

Soil Climate: Mesic temperature regime, Xeric moisture regime

Topography: Hilly

Landform: Volcano

Land element: Slope

Position: Middle slope

Slope: Steep

Form: Complex

Landuse/Vegetation: Forest, Pinus canariensis, 0-50 yrs old.

Parent material: Superposed basaltic scoria and layers of basaltic lapilli.

Erosion: No erosion features visible.

Effective soil depth: Shallow, but tree roots are observed up till m.

Surface coarse fragments: Many fine gravel to boulders.

Drainage class: Somewhat excessively drained

Internal drainage: Never saturated, strongly permeable.

Moisture condition: Moist throughout the profile.

SOIL HORIZON DESCRIPTION:

Ah:     0-10 cm; very dark grey to black (5YR 2.5/1); loam; common fine to coarse fresh gravel; moderate very fine granular structure; very friable when moist; no pores detectable other than the granular packing voids; common very fine to medium roots; abrupt and smooth to:

C:         10-18 cm; YR 2/0; dominant angular fine to coarse fresh and slightly altered gravel (vitric lapilli); no macro structure; very friable; no pores other than packing voids; common fine and medium roots; abrupt and smooth to:

2Bwb:  18-35 cm; brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4); loam; many fine weathered subrounded gravel to stones; weak fine subangular blocky; tending to granular; friable; slightly thixotropic; no pores detectable; common very fine to coarse roots; gradual and. smooth to:

2BCb:   35-45/50 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8); sandy loam; many fine subrounded gravel to stones, partially weathered; no macro structure; very friable; no pores; common very fine to coarse roots; abrupt and wavy to:

3C:       >50 cm; the horizon dominantly consists of fresh scoria fragments (gravel and stones), black (7.5YR 2/0); the under surface of the scoria are partially coated with fine textured material, white (10YR 8/1) to pale yellow (2.5Y 8/4), (allophane?); mycorrizha and tree roots are present.

WRB (2001): ochric horizon (0-10 cm); vitric horizon (0->55cm); 50 and >70% coarse fragments; BS >50%, but <80% throughout:

Skeleti-Vitric Andosol (Orthieutric)

ST (1999): ochric epipedon (0-10 cm); andic soil properties (0->55 cm); more than 35% pumice-like coarse fragments; more than 70% glass in 0.05-0.5 mm fraction:

Ashy-pumiceous, glassy, mesic Typic Vitrixerand