Soil Report - Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada

Luvisol subgroup and the Gleyed Brunisolic Gray Brown
Luvisol subgroup .
Brunisolic soils of the region mostly are classified into the
Melanic Brunisol great group . These can be further subdivided
into the Orthic, Eluviated or Gleyed Melanic Brunisol
subgroups . A minority of Brunisolic soils are classified in the
Eutric Brunisol great group where they can be further
subclassified into Orthic, Eluviated or Gleyed Eutric Brunisol
subgroups.
Most Gleysolic order soils in the region are classified into
the Humic Gleysol greatgroup. Most ofthese are subclassified
into the Orthic Humic Gleysol subgroup and a few into the
Rego Humic Gleysol subgroup . There are also some Gleysolic
soils in the Gleysol and Luvic Gleysol great groups .
Soils of the Organic order mapped in the region are
classified in either the Mesisol or Humisol great groups.
Most of these were subclassified in Terric subgroups because
of their relative shallowness over mineral soils .
Soil Families
The soil family is a relatively recent addition to the
Canadian system of soil classification that hasn't been used
as much as the other categories, such as order, series, etc.
Soil subgroups are divided into soil families on the basis of
particle size, mineralogy, reaction, depth and soil climate in
mineral soils . Somewhat different criteria are used in organic
soils.
Soil Series
The soil series is a subdivision of the soil family based on
relatively detailed properties, such as soil color, thickness of
horizons, etc. On the Haldimand-Norfolk soil maps, the soil
map unit names are based on the dominant or codominant
soil in the unit, e .g . FOX 3 where the Fox soil constitutes 50
or 75% of the unit. Table 9 is a list, in alphabetical order, of
the soils mapped in Haldimand-Norfolk, along with their
map symbols . In the other columns are shown all soils
developed on'similar parent materials, and their drainage
relationships .
Soil Phases
In the Haldimand-Norfolk Region the soil phase is used to
subdivide soil series on the basis of soil or land properties
considered significant for plant growth or soil uses . Most
soils in the region have at least one phase designation, e .g .
TLD.C is the coarse sandy phase of the Toledo soil, with 15-
40 cm of sand over clay . Similarly, PFD.D is the dune phase
of the Plainfield soil, mapped on wind-blown dunes. Following
is a list of the phase designations and their definitions :
C - 15-40 cmsandy textures over soilwith contrasting
textures
D - eolian fine sand formed into dunes
H - 40-100 cm sandy textures over lacustrine heavy
clay
L - 15-40 cm loamy textures over soil
with contrasting textures
P - 15-40 cm organic materials over soil with
contrasting textures
S - 50-100 cm soil materials over bedrock
T - 40-100 cm sandy textures over silty
clay loam till
V - 20-50 cm soil materials over bedrock
Miscellaneous Land Units
There are a number of land designations too variable or
complex to designate as soil series or soil phases that are
listed as miscellaneous land units . Some examples are :
variable floodplain soils designated as Alluvium 1 (1-ALU) ;
Lake Erie shoreline beach - scarp complexes (CPX 1) ; and
Long Point peninsula marsh - ridge complexes (CPX 4) .
Soil Map Units
A soil map unit is the designation given to any area
enclosed by a boundary on a soil map . In the Haldimand-
Norfolk Region such units are composed of various combinations
of one or two soils, or miscellaneous land units, and
their respective slopes.
For example, the LIC 1 soil map unit contains only one
map unit component, the Lincoln soil, LIC . On the soil map,
the slope will also be indicated in the denominator of the
map designation, e .g . LIC 1/C, where C indicates a simple
slope of 2-5% . Another example, the LIC 2 map unit symbol,
contains only the coarse sandy phase, LIC.C . It is designated
on the soil map as LIC .C/B, where B indicates slopes of0-2% .
Sometimes in a soil map unit such as LIC 1, that component
occurs on two slopes, e .g . LIC 1/B>C .
An example ofa soil map unit symbol, with two components,
is the unit LIC 5. It is composed of the Lincoln and the
Smithville soils in 70 :30 or 50:50 proportions . To determine
whether the Lincoln soil is dominant (70%) or codominant
(50%) in the map unit, it is necessary to scan the slopes in the
denominator of the map designation, e .g . LIC 5/B >B, where
both components of the unit occupy B slopes (0-2%), but
component one, the Lincoln soil, is dominant (70%) . In the
other case, LIC 5/BB, component one, the Lincoln soil, is
codominant (50%) with the Smithville component .