An Alisol is a Reference Soil Group of the
World Reference Base for Soil Resources The World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is an international soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps. The currently valid version is the fourth edition 2022. It is edited by a working group of the In ...
(WRB).
Alisols have an ''argic horizon'', which has a high
cation exchange capacity
Cation-exchange capacity (CEC) is a measure of how many cations can be retained on soil particle surfaces. Negative charges on the surfaces of soil particles bind positively-charged atoms or molecules (cations), but allow these to exchange with ot ...
. In the subsoil, the
base saturation
Cation-exchange capacity (CEC) is a measure of how many cations can be retained on soil particle surfaces. Negative charges on the surfaces of soil particles bind positively-charged atoms or molecules (cations), but allow these to exchange with o ...
is low.
There exist mixed forms, for example 'Stagnic Alisol', that are mainly Alisol, but also contain components that are found in
Stagnosol
A Stagnosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is soil with strong mottling of the soil profile due to redox processes caused by stagnating surface water. Stagnosols are periodically wet and mottled in the topsoil and subsoil, ...
s.
Alisols occur in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
and
humid subtropical climates, but are also found in temperate regions.
[Chesworth, Ward (editor); ''Encyclopedia of Soil Science''; p. 36. ISBN] Compared to
Lixisol Lixisols are a Reference Soil Group of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). They are soils with subsurface accumulation of low activity clays and high base saturation. They develop under intensive tropical weathering conditions and sub ...
s,
Acrisol
An Acrisol is a Reference Soil Group of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). It has a clay-rich subsoil and is associated with humid, tropical climates, such as those found in Brazil, and often supports forested areas. In the USDA so ...
s and
Ferralsols, Alisols have much higher-activity clays and are likely to be found on younger terrains or more geologically active regions such as
Kyushu and
Chugoku.
Agricultural use
Alisols are acidic (increased by limited drainage) and therefore need liming, contain few nutrients and therefore need fertilizer, and do not have much surface coherence so are easily eroded.
Aluminium and manganese toxicity is a very serious problem in Alisols, because at the low
pH of these soils such generally insoluble metals become soluble and can poison plants which are not tolerant of them. ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
'' mentions oil palm, cotton, and maize (corn) as crops suitable to be grown on Alisols, though most crops require very intensive fertilisation for long-term success.
References
Article "Alisol" in Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 20 Aug. 2011
Further reading
* W. Zech, P. Schad, G. Hintermaier-Erhard: Soils of the World. Springer, Berlin 2022, Chapter 7.3.2.
External links
profile photos (with classification)WRB homepage
profile photos (with classification)IUSS World of Soils
{{Soil type
Pedology
Types of soil