TENERIFE SOIL PROFILES

PROFILE EUR10 - ES.T
Tenerife, Highs of Tacoronte (Cone “El Cerro”). - februar 2000

Date of description: 11-02-2000 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, Highs of Tacoronte (Cone “El Cerro”). Altitude: 1130 m Co-ordinates: Map number and Co-ordinates:

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Classification:    WRB (2001): Umbri-Silandic Andosol (Hyperdystric)

ST (1999): Ashy, amorphic, mesic Humic Udivitrand

Soil Climate: Mesic temperature regime, Udic moisture regime

Topography: Hilly.

Landform: Volcano

Land element: Slope

Position: Middle slope

Slope: Generally: moderately steep. The part of the slope in which the soil is situated is gently sloping.

Form: Concave at the profile position.

Landuse/Vegetation: Forest, selected felling; Pine and green forest (Fayal-brezal), some grass and ferns.

Parent material: Basaltic ashes, Holocene

Rock outcrops: None.

Effective soil depth: Very deep.

Erosion: No evidence of erosion.

Drainage Class: Well drained.

Internal drainage: Never saturated; Permeability: moderately rapid.

Moisture conditions: Moist throughout the profile.

EUR10 - ES.T.SOIL  DESCRIPTION:

Ah:         0-40/50 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3); silty loam; few fine and coarse weathered subrounded gravel; moderate and strong very fine granular structure; friable when moist, non sticky and non plastic when wet; few very fine and fine pores; common very fine to coarse roots; abrupt and wavy to:

Bw:        40/50-85/90 cm; red (2.5YR 4/6); silt loam; common subrounded, weathered and strongly weathered fine gravel to stones; moderate and strong fine subangular blocky; few pockets with very fine granular structure; slightly firm when moist, slightly sticky and slightly plastic when wet; common very fine and fine pores; few very fine to coarse roots; clear and wavy to:

Bwb1:     85/90-110/120 cm; yellowish red (5YR 4/6); silt loam; common subrounded weathered and strongly weathered fine gravel to stones, locally filled with 2.5YR 8/8 neoformed coatings (allophane?); moderate fine subangular blocky; friable when moist, slightly sticky and slightly plastic when wet; many very fine to fine pores; few fine to medium roots; gradual and wavy to:

Bwb2:     110/120-220 cm; red (2.5YR 4/7); silt loam; many fine to coarse gravel, dominantly strongly weathered and changed to iron rich pseudomorphs; moderately fine subangular blocky; friable when moist, slightly sticky and slightly plastic when wet; many very fine and fine pores; few fine to medium roots; clear and wavy to:

2Bwb3:   >220 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3); clay loam; few whitish white (10YR 8/1) mottles, gibbsite?) up to 2 mm; few fine Mn mottles very dark grey to black (5YR 2.5/1); weak fine subangular blocky; friable when moist, slightly sticky and slightly plastic when wet; many fine pores; few fine roots.

WRB (2001): umbric horizon (0-40/50 cm); andic horizon (0-85/90 cm); vitric horizon (85/90-220 cm); Si_o > 0.6%; BS <50% between 15 and 100 cm throughout and <20% between 40 and 100 cm:

Umbri-Silandic Andosol (Hyperdystric)

 ST (1999): umbric epipedon (0-40/50 cm); no melanic epipedon (too high colour value and chroma, too low org. C content); andic soil properties (0-220 cm); 8x Si_o + 2x Fe_o > 5, 8x Si_o > 2x Fe_o:

Ashy, amorphic, mesic Humic Udivitrand