Aridisol

Aridisol
an aridisol profile
Used in:	USDA soil taxonomy
Key process:	soil carbon oxidation
Climate:	desert, semi-arid

Aridisols (or desert soils) are a soil order in USA soil taxonomy.^[1] Aridisols (from the Latin aridus, for “dry”, and solum) form in an arid or semi-arid climate. Aridisols dominate the deserts and xeric shrublands, which occupy about one third of the Earth's land surface. Aridisols have a very low concentration of organic matter, reflecting the paucity of vegetative production on these dry soils. Water deficiency is the major defining characteristic of aridisols. Also required is sufficient age to exhibit sub-soil weathering and development. Limited leaching in aridisols often results in one or more subsurface soil horizons in which suspended or dissolved minerals have been deposited: silicate clays, sodium, calcium carbonate, gypsum or soluble salts. These subsoil horizons can also be cemented by carbonates, gypsum or silica. Accumulation of salts on the surface can result in salinization.

See also

• Desert ecology
• Pedogenesis
• Pedology (soil study)
• Soil classification
• Soil science
• Soil type

References

• "Aridisols". University of Florida. Archived from the original on September 16, 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-14. 
• "Aridisols". University of Idaho. Retrieved 2006-05-14. 

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