Kinds Of Soil

Front 1

Entisol

Back 1

young soils, like those recently formed along a stream

Front 2

Vertisols

Back 2

High in clay, large "shrink-swell" capacity

Front 3

Inceptisols

Back 3

A young soil beginning to show horizon development (often range soils)

Front 4

Aridsols

Back 4

Soils with low organic component, in dry region

Front 5

Mollisols

Back 5

Fertile soils with a high organic content, very fertile

Front 6

Spodosols

Back 6

Acidic and sandy, developing in cool moist climates (eg around Great Lakes)

Front 7

Alfisols

Back 7

Moderately acidic clay soils, above average agricultural soils

Front 8

Ultisols

Back 8

Old soils which have been leached; low fertility

Front 9

Oxisols

Back 9

High in iron, highly acidic, low in nutrients, these soils are low in nutrients because most available nutrients are being utilized. The extremely high turnover rate (of matter and particularly nutrients) in the tropics makes these soils, when taken alone, highly infertile.

Front 10

Histosols

Back 10

High organic content, poorly drained, These, essentially, are wetland soils -- soils where a constant presence of water allows for the growth of water-tolerant plants, but breakdown of organic matter is slow due to the anaerobic condition of the soil.

Front 11

Andisols

Back 11

Volcanic deposition (e.g., lava flow)