Soils of the European Union - European Soil Portal - Europa

4.14 LeptosolsGeographical distributionLeptosol is one of the four Reference Soil Groups that occupy more than 10% of the area of the European Union (435,713km 2 ). Leptosols are present throughout Europe. However, they are most typical in the Mediterranean. The majority of thesoil types of Cyprus is Leptosols and they cover vast areas in Greece, Spain and France as well.Six soil units make up the total Leptosol cover of the EU. (Table 4.14, Figure 4.14)Table 4.14 Area of the second level units of LeptosolsUnits in the Reference Soil Groupin the EUCodes ofsoil unitsArea in the EUkm 2Calcaric Leptosol LPca 65577Dystric Leptosol LPdy 102114Eutric Leptosol LPeu 34662Haplic Leptosol LPha 78221Rendzic Leptosol LPrz 150347Lithic Leptosol LPli 4792Calcaric Leptosols are typical to Greece and are quite frequent in Bulgaria, Italy, France and Spain. Highest concentrationof Dystrict Leptosols is in Corsica. However, these soils are common in many other regions of Europe. Eutric Leptosolsare exclusive to the Mediterranean and Balkan countries. Haplic units of the Reference Soil Group are major soils ofGalicia, the Pyrenees, the Northern Carpathians, the French Alps and Bretagne and Northern Scotland. Rendzic Leptosolhas the largest areas within the Reference Soil Group covering much of the Alps, Northern France and Provence, Castaliaand Andalusia, and the Apennines. Lithic Leptosols are the soils of Cyprus.34.51%17.95%1.10%15.05%7.96%23.44%LPcaLPdyLPeuLPhaLPrzLPliFigure 4.14 Share of the second level soil units in the area of LeptosolsGlobal referenceLeptosol is the Reference Soil Group with the most extensive coverage on the global scale, extending over approximately16.55 million km 2 . Leptosols are found in all climatic regions and all altitudes and are particularly frequent in mountainareas.Leptosols are shallow over hard rock and comprise of very gravelly or highly calcareous material. Because of limitedpedogenic development, Leptosols do not have much structure and have only weakly expressed horizons. Rendzic andMollic Leptosols have more pronounced morphological features. The Reference Soil Group of the Leptosols includes awide variety of soils with greatly differing chemical and physical properties. Leptosols are generally well-drained soils;however they have very few other favorable characteristics for agricultural utilization. The suitability of Leptosols in mostareas is limited to forestry.Lithosols of many international classification systems correlate with the Leptosol Reference Soil Group. Leptosols onlimestone are called Rendzinas while those on acid rocks, such as granite, are called Rankers.38