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Master Horizons-WPS Office

The A, B, and C horizons are known as master horizons. They describe the major layers in soil profiles. The A horizon is the topsoil where organic matter accumulates. The B horizon is the subsoil where minerals leached from the A horizon accumulate. The C horizon lacks the properties of the A and B horizons and is the underlying parent material. Soils can further develop layers between or within master horizons identified by two letter codes indicating composition, such as AB or Bt. Lowercase suffixes provide additional details about traits like accumulation of chemicals or organic matter.

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64 views3 pages

Master Horizons-WPS Office

The A, B, and C horizons are known as master horizons. They describe the major layers in soil profiles. The A horizon is the topsoil where organic matter accumulates. The B horizon is the subsoil where minerals leached from the A horizon accumulate. The C horizon lacks the properties of the A and B horizons and is the underlying parent material. Soils can further develop layers between or within master horizons identified by two letter codes indicating composition, such as AB or Bt. Lowercase suffixes provide additional details about traits like accumulation of chemicals or organic matter.

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Master Horizons

The A, B, and C horizons are known as master horizons. They are part of a system for
naming soil horizons in which each layer is identified by a code: O, A, E, B, C, and R. These
horizons are described as follows.

O The O horizon is an organic layer made of wholly or partially decayed plant and
animal debris. The O horizon generally occurs in undisturbed soil, since plowing mixes the
organic material into the soil. In a forest, fallen leaves, branches, and other debris make up
the O horizon.

A The A horizon, called topsoil by most growers, is the surface mineral layer where
organic matter accumulates. Over time, this layer loses clay, iron, and other materials to
leaching. This loss is called eluviation. Materials resistant to weathering, such as sand,
tend to remain in the A horizon as other materials leach out. The A horizon provides the
best environment for the growth of plant roots, microorganisms, and other life.

E The E horizon, the zone of greatest eluviation, is very leached of clay, chemicals,
and organic matter. Because the chemicals that color soil have been leached out, the E
layer is very light in color. It usually occurs in sandy forest soils in high rainfall areas.

B The B horizon, or subsoil, is often called the "zone of accumulation" where


chemicals leached out of the A and E horizon accumulate. The word for this accumulation is
illuviation. The B horizon has a lower organic matter content than than the topsoil and
often has more clay. The A, E, and B horizons together are known as the solum. This part
of the profile is where most plant roots grow.

C The C horizon lacks the properties of the A and B horizons. It is the soil layer less
touched by soil-forming processes and is usually the parent material of the soil.

R The R horizon is the underlying bedrock, such as limestone, sandstone, or granite.

Master Horizon Subdivisions

As soils age, they may develop more horizons than the basic master horizons. Some of
these layers are between the master horizons both in position and properties. These layers
are identified by the two master letters, with the dominant one written first. Thus, an AB
layer lies between the A and B horizons and resembles both, but is more like the A than the
B.
A soil layer can be further identified by a lowercase letter suffix that tells some trait of the
layer. The following is a list of the symbol suffixes. Further subdivisions are noted by a
number following the letters. Thus, one could have a soil with both a Bt1 and a Bt2
horizon. This means that the Bt horizon of the soil has two distinct layers in it.

a Highly decomposed organic material. This suffix is used with O horizon.

b Buried horizon. Such a soil layer is an old horizon buried by sedimentation or other
processes.

c Concretions or hard nodules. a nodule is a hard "pocket" of a substance like


gypsum in the soil.

e Moderately decomposed organic material. Used with the O horizon.

f Frozen soil. The soil contains permanent ice (permafrost)

g Strong gleying. Such a horizon is gray and mottled, the color of reduced
(nonoxidized) iron, resulting from saturated conditions.

h Illuvial accumulation of organic matter. The symbol is used with the B horizon to
show that complexes of humus and sesquioxides have washed into the hoizon. Includes
only small quantities of sesquioxides. May show dark staining.

i Slightly decomposed organic matter. Used with the O horizon.

k Accumulation of carbonates. Indicates accumulation of calcium carbonate (lime) or


other carbonates.

m Cementation. The symbol indicates a soil horizon that has been cemented hard by
carbonates, gypsum, or other material. A second suffix indicates the cementing agent, such
as "k" for carbonates. This is a hardpan horizon; roots penetrate only through cracks.

n Accumulation of sodium. Indicates a high accumulation of exchangeable sodium, as


in a sodic soil.

o Accumulation of sesquioxide clays.

p Plowing or other human disturbance. Horizon was heavily disturbed by plowing,


cultivation, pasturing, or other activity.
Applies to O and A horizons.

q Accumulation of silica.

r Weathered or soft bedrock. Used with C horizon to indicate bedrock that can be dug
with spade that roots can enter through cracks.

s Illuvial accumulation of both sesquioxides and organic matter. Both the organic
matter and sesquioxide components of humus-sesquioxide complexes are important.

t Accumulation of silicate clays. Clay may have formed in horizon or moved into it by
illuviation.

v Plinthite. An iron-rich material common to tropical soils that hardens when


exposed to air.

w Development of color or structure. The symbol indicates that a horizon has


developed enough to show some color or structure but not enough to show illuvial
accumulation of material.

x Fragipan or other noncemented natural hardpans. These are horizons that are firm,
brittle, or have high bulk densities from natural processes.

y Accumulation of gypsum.

z Accumulation of salts more soluble than gypsum.

Source: Brady, Nyle. The Nature & Properties of Soils. MacMillian Publishing Company,

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