Table 2 Soil descriptors of Maya reference groups and correspondence with WRB soil groups
From: Construction of an Yucatec Maya soil classification and comparison with the WRB framework
Soil descriptors | MSC | WRB |
|---|---|---|
Black soils with abundant organic matter, fresh litter and litter in decomposition, in wet areas generally covered by mangrove | Pu'uc lu'um | Histosols |
Black soils with high content of organic matter derived from human and animal wastes (former homegardens), containing also potsherds, ash, and other domestic residues | Kakkabb lu'um | Hortic Anthrosols |
Black soils, with very little fine earth, bedrock outcrops in the form of promontories, stones >25 cm diameter | Tzek'el lu'um | Lithic Leptosols |
Black soils, with little fine earth, soft, shallow, >10% organic matter, well drained, high water retention, with or without calcium carbonate, laminar limestone | Pus lu'um | Lithic Leptosols, Rendzic Leptosols, Mollic Leptosols |
Light gray soils, sandy clay loam, extremely shallow (3-17 cm), poorly drained, calcareous over laminar limestone | Sak lu'um | Gleyic Lithic Leptosols (Calcaric) |
Predominant rock outcrops of laminar limestone, large amounts of coarse fragments, with very little fine earth of red, reddish-brown or black color | Chaltún | Nudilithic Leptosols |
Very shallow soils (<10 cm), red, reddish-brown or black, 3-15% organic matter, <50% stones, few rock outcrops | Hay lu'um | Lithic or Nudilithic Leptosols |
Black soils, with more fine earth than Tzekel soils, >90% stones, coarse fragments >5 cm diameter | Ch'och'ol lu'um | Hyperskeletic Leptosols |
Black soils, shallow (<25 cm), >90% gravel, >10% organic matter, high water retention | Ch'ich'lu'um | Hyperskeletic Leptosols |
Black soils, with little fine earth, shallow, 20-60% gravel and stones, >10% organic matter, well drained, with or without calcium carbonate | Box lu'um | Mollic Leptosols |
Grey or red soils, deep (>100 cm), clayey, no stones, temporary cracks, hard when dry | Yaax kom lu'um | Haplic Vertisols |
Red soils, deep (>100 cm), clayey, no stones, temporary cracks, hard when dry, fertile (>50% exchangeable bases) | Yaax kom- K'an kab lu'um | Haplic Vertisols (Chromic) |
Grey soils, moderately deep (<100 cm), clayey, temporary cracks, no stones, no rocks, swampy during the rainy season, in agricultural lands and large areas | Yaxx kom-Ak'al che' | Gleyic Vertisols |
Grey soils, temporarily flooded, moderately deep (<100 cm), clayey, temporary cracks, no stones, no rocks, swampy in summer, fall and winter, plant community with Dalbergia sp. and Haematoxylum campechianum | Ak'al che'grey | Gleysols |
Light brown soils, temporarily flooded, moderately deep (<100 cm), clayey, temporary cracks, no stones, no rocks, swampy in summer, fall and winter, plant community with Bucida burceras | Ak'al che' light brown | Stagnosols |