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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptosol
A Leptosol in the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources is a very shallow soil over hard rock or highly calcareous material or a deeper soil that is extremely gravelly and/or stony. Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares of the Earth's surface. They are found from the tropics to the cold polar regions and from sea level to the highest peaks. Leptosols are particularly widespread in mountain areas, notably in Asia, South America, northern Canada and Alaska; and in the Saharan and Arabian deserts. Elsewhere, Leptosols can be found on hard rocks or where erosion has kept pace with soil formation or removed the top of the soil. In the FAO soil classification for the UNESCO Soil Map of the World (1974) the Leptosols on calcareous rock were called Rendzinas, those on acid rock were Rankers. The very shallow, less than 10 cm deep, Lithic Leptosols in mountain regions are the most extensive Leptosols on Earth.
Leptosols are unattractive soils for rainfed agriculture because of their inability to hold water,[1] but may sometimes have potential for tree crops or extensive grazing. Leptosols are best kept under forest.
link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-3995-9_34
Arenosols are sandy soils, developed on quartzose (and sometimes calcareous) sands of diverse origins, for example from residual materials remaining after the long term weathering of acid rocks, from aeolian deposits, or from fluviatile sediments including post glacial deposits. The following account follows FAO (2001).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regosol
A Regosol in the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources is very weakly developed mineral soil in unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and in mountain regions. Internationally, Regosols correlate with soil taxa that are marked by incipient soil formation such as Entisols in the USDA soil taxonomy or skeletal soils in the Australian soil classification.
The group of Regosols is a taxonomic rest group containing all soils that could not be accommodated in any of the other groups. Excluded from the Regosols are weakly developed soils that classify as Leptosols (very shallow soils), Arenosols (sandy soils) or Fluvisols (in recent alluvial deposits. These soils have AC-profiles. Profile development is minimal as a consequence of young age and/or slow soil formation.
Land use and management of Regosols vary widely. Some Regosols are used for capital-intensive irrigated farming but the most common land use is low volume grazing. Regosols in mountain areas are best left under forest.
Regosols occur in all climate zones without permafrost and at all elevations. Regosols are particularly common in arid areas, in the dry tropics and in mountain regions.
Regosols cover an estimated 260 million hectares worldwide, mainly in arid areas in the mid-western USA, Northern Africa, the Near East and Australia. Some 50 million hectares of Regosols occur in the wet/dry tropics, most especially in northern Australia, and another 36 million hectares in mountain areas.
A Leptosol in the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources is a very shallow soil over hard rock or highly calcareous material or a deeper soil that is extremely gravelly and/or stony. Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares of the Earth's surface. They are found from the tropics to the cold polar regions and from sea level to the highest peaks. Leptosols are particularly widespread in mountain areas, notably in Asia, South America, northern Canada and Alaska; and in the Saharan and Arabian deserts. Elsewhere, Leptosols can be found on hard rocks or where erosion has kept pace with soil formation or removed the top of the soil. In the FAO soil classification for the UNESCO Soil Map of the World (1974) the Leptosols on calcareous rock were called Rendzinas, those on acid rock were Rankers. The very shallow, less than 10 cm deep, Lithic Leptosols in mountain regions are the most extensive Leptosols on Earth.
Leptosols are unattractive soils for rainfed agriculture because of their inability to hold water,[1] but may sometimes have potential for tree crops or extensive grazing. Leptosols are best kept under forest.
link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-3995-9_34
Arenosols are sandy soils, developed on quartzose (and sometimes calcareous) sands of diverse origins, for example from residual materials remaining after the long term weathering of acid rocks, from aeolian deposits, or from fluviatile sediments including post glacial deposits. The following account follows FAO (2001).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regosol
A Regosol in the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources is very weakly developed mineral soil in unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and in mountain regions. Internationally, Regosols correlate with soil taxa that are marked by incipient soil formation such as Entisols in the USDA soil taxonomy or skeletal soils in the Australian soil classification.
The group of Regosols is a taxonomic rest group containing all soils that could not be accommodated in any of the other groups. Excluded from the Regosols are weakly developed soils that classify as Leptosols (very shallow soils), Arenosols (sandy soils) or Fluvisols (in recent alluvial deposits. These soils have AC-profiles. Profile development is minimal as a consequence of young age and/or slow soil formation.
Land use and management of Regosols vary widely. Some Regosols are used for capital-intensive irrigated farming but the most common land use is low volume grazing. Regosols in mountain areas are best left under forest.
Regosols occur in all climate zones without permafrost and at all elevations. Regosols are particularly common in arid areas, in the dry tropics and in mountain regions.
Regosols cover an estimated 260 million hectares worldwide, mainly in arid areas in the mid-western USA, Northern Africa, the Near East and Australia. Some 50 million hectares of Regosols occur in the wet/dry tropics, most especially in northern Australia, and another 36 million hectares in mountain areas.
