Phaeozem

Distribution of phaeozems

A phaeozem in the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources is a dark soil with a high base status, but without a calcareous soil horizon within one metre of the soil surface. Phaeozems correlate with the udolls and aquolls (mollisols) of the USDA soil taxonomy.^[1][2]

These soils are found mainly in humid and sub-humid tall-grass steppes; there are extensive areas of them in the United States, Argentina and China. Phaeozems form from unconsolidated sediments such as loess and glacial till and typically have organic matter contents of about 5% and a pH of 5 - 7.

Intensive agricultural use is widespread and includes wheat, soybean and cotton production and improved pastures for cattle.

See also

• Pedogenesis
• Pedology (soil study)
• Soil classification

References

Soil classification
USDA soil taxonomy	Alfisols Andisols Aridisols Entisols Gelisols Histosols Inceptisols Mollisols Oxisols Spodosols Ultisols Vertisols
World Reference Base for Soil Resources	Acrisols Albeluvisols Alisols Andosols Anthrosols Arenosols Calcisols Cambisols Chernozem Cryosols Durisols Ferralsols Fluvisols Gleysols Gypsisols Histosol Kastanozems Leptosols Lixisols Luvisols Nitisols Phaeozems Planosols Plinthosols Podzols Regosols Solonchaks Solonetz Stagnosol Technosols Umbrisols Vertisols
Other systems	Unified Soil Classification System AASHTO Soil Classification System Référentiel pédologique (French classification system) Canadian system of soil classification Australian Soil Classification 1938 USDA soil taxonomy List of U.S. state soils List of vineyard soil types
Types of soil