TENERIFE SOIL PROFILES

PROFILE EUR12 - ES.T
Tenerife, Mount of Las Mercedes  - february 2000

Classification:   
WRB (2001): Umbri-Vitric Andosol (Pachic and Hyperdystric)
ST (1999): Ashy, glassy, mesic Humic Udivitrand

Soil Climate: Mesic temperature regime, Udic moisture regime

Topography: Hilly

Landform: Volcano

Land element: Ridge

Position: Crest - upper slope

Slope: Steep, N. direction

Landuse/Vegetation: Green Forest, (Laurisilva, and Fayal brezal).

Parent material: Surface soil (A1 and Bw) are basaltic ashes (9000 yrs), underneath these deposits totally weathered basaltic lava.

Effective soil depth: Deep

Erosion: No erosion features visible.

Surface coarse fragments: Many fine gravel to boulders.

Drainage class: Upper deposits: Well drained; Underlying altered lava somewhat poorly.

Internal drainage: 0-110/130 cm, never saturated. > 130 moderately slow permeability

Moisture condition: Moist throughout the profile.

SOIL HORIZON DESCRIPTION:

Ah1:     0-15/20 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2); silt loam; no rock fragments; moderate very fine to fine granular structure; friable when moist, non sticky non plastic when wet; very few fine pores, common very fine to fine roots; clear and wavy to:

Ah2:     15/20-65 cm; silt loam; few subangular totally weathered gravel; moderate very fine to fine granular structure; friable when moist, non sticky non plastic when wet; charcoal present; many very fine to coarse roots; abrupt and wavy to:

Bw:      65-90/120 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3); silt loam; moderate very fine subangular blocky; friable when moist, slightly sticky, slightly plastic when wet; few fine whitish nodules; many very fine pores; few fine to medium roots; few medium charcoal; abrupt and wavy to:

2Ahb:   90/120-100/130 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3); silty clay loam; no rock fragments; moderate fine subangular blocky; friable when moist, sticky and plastic when wet; few fine pores; few fine and medium roots; clear and wavy to:

3Bwb:  >100/130 cm; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4), clay.

WRB (2001): umbric horizon (0-65 cm); vitric horizon (0->100/130 cm); no andic horizon because Al_o + ½ Fe_o < 2.0%; BS < 20 between 15/20 and 100 cm:

Umbri-Vitric Andosol (Pachic and Hyperdystric)

Note: colour indication Ah2 15/20-65 cm is lacking but assumed to be dark enough to be umbric

ST (1999): umbric epipedon (0-65 cm); andic soil properties (0->100/130 cm); glass content between 65 and 95% in 0.05-0.5 mm fraction:

Ashy, glassy, mesic Humic Udivitrand