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The soil of Europe

ARENOSOLSEasily erodable sandy soil with slow weathering rate, lowwater and nutrient holding capacity and low basesaturation (from the Latin, arena, meaning sand).

Arenosols have a coarse texture to a depth of one metre or to a hard layer. Soil formation islimited by low weathering rate and frequent erosion of the surface. If vegetation has notdeveloped, shifting sands dominate. Accumulation of organic matter in the top horizon and/orlamellae of clay, and/or humus and iron complexes, mark periods of stability. Arenosols areamongst the most extensive soil types in the world.

Left: the surface of Arenosolsare often unstable in theabsence of continuousvegetation cover;Below: stabilized Arenosol withorganic matter accumulationat the surface and lamellae inthe subsurface; The map showsthe location of areas in Europewhere Arenosols are thedominant soil type.

Cover 1 % of Europe.

CALCISOLSSoil with significant accumulation of secondary calciumcarbonates, generally developed in dry areas (from theLatin, calcarius, meaning calcareous or lime-rich).

Calcisols have substantial movement and accumulation of calcium-carbonate within the soilprofile. The precipitation may occur as pseudomycelium (root channels filled with fine calcite),nodules or even in continuous layers of soft or hard lime (calcrete). Calcisols are common oncalcareous parent material in regions with distinct dry seasons, as well as in dry areas wherecarbonate-rich groundwater comes near the surface. Formerly Calcisols were internationallyknown as Desert soil and Takyrs.

Left: a typical Calcisollandscape showing a hardcalcrete layer;Below: the deposition andaccumulation of calciumcarbonate (CaCO3) may form acontinuous hard pan layer; Themap shows the location ofareas in Europe where Calcisolsare the dominant soil type.

Cover 5 % of Europe.

CAMBISOLSSoil that is only moderately developed on account oflimited age or rejuvenation of the soil material (fromthe Latin cambiare meaning to change).

A Cambisol is a young soil. Pedogenic process are evident from colour development and/orstructure formation below the surface horizon. Cambisols occur in a wide variety ofenvironments around the world and under all many kinds of vegetation. Commonly referred toas brown soil, Braunerde (Germany), Sols bruns (France) or Brunizems (Russia). The USDA SoilTaxonomy classifies Cambisols as Inceptisols.

Left: Cambisols are common inEurope and can be veryproductive agriculturally,especially in loess areas;Below: Pedogenic processes areevident in colour developmentor structure formation belowthe surface horizon; The mapshows the location of areas inEurope where Cambisols arethe dominant soil type.

Cover 12 % of Europe.

CHERNOZEMSSoil with a deep, dark surface horizon that is rich in organicmatter and secondary calcium carbonate concentrations in thedeeper horizons (from the Russian for chern, black, and zemlja,earth).

Soil having a very dark brown or blackish surface horizon with a significant accumulation oforganic matter, a high pH and having calcium carbonate deposits within 50 cm of the lowerlimit of the humus rich horizon. Chernozems show high biological activity and are typicallyfound in the long-grass steppe regions of the world, especially in Eastern Europe, Canada andthe USA. Chernozem are amongst the most productive soil types in the world.

Left: The main source of thehigh organic content ofChernozems is the annualdecay of grass;Below: the dark surface soilmaterial is generally mixed tosignificant depths by the highbiological activity; The mapshows the location of areas inEurope where Chernozems arethe dominant soil type.

Cover 9 % of Europe.

The major soil types of Europe

JRC Soils Atlas 24/6/05 11:33 am Page 29