World’s Soil Resources

LIXISOLS (Kan - great groups of Alfisols, e.g. with a kandic horizon)
Lixisols are characterized by the movement and accumulation of low-activity clays (cation-exchange
capacity < 24 cmolc kg -1 clay) and a high base saturation (> 50 percent). The dominant soil processes
involved in Lixisol formation include argilluviation and biological enrichment of base cations. These soils are
often polygenetic and have strong textural differentiation and advanced weathering but with abundant base
cycling (Figure A 27).
Lixisols occur in the drier parts of the tropics and sub-tropics with a precipitation more than 1 200 mm
annually. They typically carry a savannah vegetation. They occur on variable reliefs, while their parent
material is saprolite or colluviums. These soils are commonly more than 200 000 years old.
Regional distribution is 435 million ha worldwide, mainly in sub-Sahelian and east Africa, Central and
South America, the Indian Subcontinent, and southeast Asia and Australia
Lixisols are used for forestry, low-volume grazing and agro-forestry and provide ecological services such as
water protection and ecological sustainability.
Status of the World’s Soil Resources | Main Report Annex | Soil groups, characteristics,
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distribution and ecosystem services