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Cultivos Tropicales
On-line version ISSN 1819-4087
cultrop vol.42 no.3 La Habana July.-Sept. 2021 Epub Sep 30, 2021
Short communication
Area occupied by group and genetic types of soils in Cuba
1Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA), carretera San José-Tapaste, km 3½, Gaveta Postal 1, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba. CP 32 700
This work presents the area occupied by the different soils of Cuba at the level of Grouping and Genetic Type of soil, according to the 1999 version of the Cuban Soil Classification. The work was carried out taking into account the data from the genetic map planimetry of Cuba´ soils 1: 250,000 and the digital map SOILS 500,000, in which the 1999 soil classification is applied. It is shown that the Siallitic Brown soils are the most extensive (32.9 % of the country) and in that order are followed by Hydromorphic soils (Gleysols) (21.34 %), Histosols (8.27 %) and Vertisols (8.27 %). The soils of the Ferrallitic Group occupy the fifth place with an area of 6,717 km2 (6.21 %).
Key words: cartography; soil classification; productivity
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important premises of a country is to develop efficient agriculture, for which it is necessary to know what types and subtypes of soils there are, their properties and, above all, the area occupied by each type and subtype of soil. In this way, it will be possible to know the quality of the agricultural fund that is available and to know what limitations a sustained agricultural production will have.
In the world, the most developed countries such as the United States, Canada and European countries, have been able to carry out this research and have two types of classifications that have global relevance, such as the North American Soil Taxonomy classification 1 and the World Reference classification Base 2. However, underdeveloped countries have not yet reached that level.
In Latin America, there is no such development, many of the studies are carried out in isolated regions and most of the time there is no complete map of soils of the country on a medium or large scale. In general, the studies are governed on the North American Soil Taxonomy system basis, although Mexico follows the World Reference Base system as a continuation of FAO Classification. In countries such as Ecuador, the World Reference Base system begins to be implemented; as for example, the results of the cartography and classification of soils to know their productivity of the Carrizal-Chone System in Manabí 3,4.
It should also be noted that in Latin America there are only two countries that have their own soil classification system, such as Cuba and Brazil, with recent versions 5,6.
A classification of soils, elaborated under the genetic-geographical principles, is essential to achieve an adequate mapping of the soils and thus know the agricultural potential that is available. In addition, it is essential to know the territory that each type of soil occupies, especially for applied edaphological work; thus, for example, to know the area of Ferrallitic soils, for the improvement works of its either structure 7; carbon capture and sequestration 8) or in case of application of mycorrhizal amendments in Fersiallitic or Gleysol soils 9.
In Cuba, soil genesis and cartography studies had considerable support since the beginning of the Triumph of the Revolution and currently there are soil maps at different scales, which has given the possibility of knowing their distribution and the area that each occupies type and grouping of soils. However, for the 1999 version of soil classification this result has not been given, which is the objective of this work.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The area occupied by the soils of Cuba is presented in Groupings and Genetic Types of soils (expressed in km2), taking into account the “New Version of Genetic Classification of the Soils of Cuba” 10. Unfortunately, this version of soil classification does not take into account the separation of soils at the subtype level due to the influence of continued cultivation, since currently there are results obtained in recent years 11,12 and expressed as a subtype of soils agrogenic in the most recent version 5.
The calculation was made based on the results of the Soil Map of Cuba 1: 250,000 planimetry and published in the book "Genesis and Classification of Cuba´ Soils" 13. Also, in the calculation of the areas of the work SOILS 500 000, prepared according to the New Version of the Genetic Classification of Cuba´ Soils and presented at the International Soil Geography: New Horizons Conference in Huatulco, Mexico 14. In addition, the correlation of soil types with the world classifications Soil Taxonomy 1 and the WRB Classification of soils is presented 2.
The results should be taken in an approximate way, both for the correlations with other classifications, such as the area that each soil occupies.
RESULTS
Table 1 shows the area in square kilometers occupied by each Genetic Group and Type of Cuba´ Soils. As can be seen, in the first place, the most extensive are the Brown Siallitic soils that occupy 32.9 % of the total territory, because of the formation in mountains of the ancient Arches of Islands and the pediplanation process that has occurred. It is due to the washing of the Miocene limestones and the outcrop of the oldest igneous rocks, with the formation of younger soils, as is well explained in the formation of the soils of the Campo Florido region 15.
Table 1 Groupings and Genetic Types of Soils of Cuba, approximate area they occupy and their correlation with the Soil Taxonomy and WRB classifications
Group | Genetic Type | Area (km2) | Corelation with Soil Taxonmy | Corelation with WRB |
---|---|---|---|---|
Allitic Soils (6717 km2) | Low Activity Clay Red Allitic | 1931 | Rhodic Kandiustalf | Rhodic, Alumic Acrisol |
Low Activity Clay Yellowish Red Allitic | 890 | Rhodic-Xanthic Rhodustalf | Rhodic, Xanthic, Alumic Acrisol | |
Low Activity Clay Yellow Allitic | 380 | Xanthic Rhodustalf | Xanthic, Alumic Acrisol | |
High Activiy Clay Yellowish Red Allitic | 3200 | Typic Rhodudalf | Rhodic, Xanthic, Alumic Alisol | |
High Activiy Clay Yellowish Allitic | 316 | Xanthic Rhodudalf | Xanthic, Alumic Alisol | |
Ferritic Soils (1908 km2) | Dark Red Ferritic | 1875 | Rhodic Eutrudox | Ferritic, Rhodic, Eutric Ferralsol |
Yellowih Ferritic | 33 | Xanthic Eutrudox | Ferritic, Xanthic, Eutric Ferralsol | |
Ferrallitic Soils (6807 km2) | Red Ferrallitic | 5539 | Rhodic Eutrustox | Ferralic, Rhodic, Eutric, Clayey Nitisol |
Red Lixiviated Ferrallític | 716 | Typic Rhodustalf | Ferralic, Rhodic, Lixic, Eutric Nitisol | |
Yellowih Lixiviated Ferrallitic | 552 | Xanthic Rhodustalf | Ferralix, Xanthic, Lixic, Eutric Nitisol | |
Ferrallic Soils (1650 km2) | Red Ferrallic | 1400 | Oxic, Rhodic Haplustept | Ferralic, Rhodic, Eutric Cambisol |
Yellowish Ferrallic | 250 | Oxic, Xanthic Haplustept | Ferralic, Xanthic, Eutric Cambisol | |
Fersiallitic Soils (2952 km2) | Reddish Brown Fersiallitic | 2300 | Oxic Haplustept | Chromic, Eutric Cambisol |
Red Fersiallitic | 652 | Oxic Haplustept | Rhodic, Eutric Cambisol | |
Siallitic Brown Soils (36068 km2) | Brown | 34548 | Cambisol Typic Haplustept | Eutric Cambisol |
Grayish Brown | 1520 | Typic Dystrustept | Dystric Cambisol | |
Humic Siallitic Soils (5744 km2) | Calcimorphic Humic | 2300 | Typic Haplustoll | Calcaric, Clayey Feozem |
Rendzina | 3444 | Lithic Haplustoll | Rendzic, Calcaric Feozem | |
Vertisols (9060 km2) | Pellic Vertisol | 8200 | Typic Haplustert | Pellic Vertisol |
Chromic Vertisol | 860 | Chromic Haplustert | Chromic Vertisol | |
Hallomorphic Soils (216 km2) | Saline | 96 | Salic Epiaquent | Gleyic, Clayey Solonchak |
Sodic | 120 | Typic Halaquept | Stagnic Solonetz | |
Hydromorphic Soils (23380 km2) | Vertic Gley | 6800 | Ustic Endoaquert | Eutric, VerticGleysol |
Humic Gley | 6400 | Typic Endoaquept | Eutric, Clayey, HumicGleysol | |
Nodule Ferruginous Gley with 2 Subtypes: Typic Petroferric | 10180 6254 3926 | They are Plintaqualf with two Subgroup: Typic Plinthaqualf Petroferric Plinthaqualf | Pisoplinthic Gleysol and Petroferric Gleysol | |
Fluvisol (375 km2) | Fluvisol | 375 | Typic Ustifluvent | Eutric Fluvisol |
Histosols (9062 km2) | Fibric Histosol | 5200 | Typic Haplofibrist | Fibric Histosol |
Mesic Histosol | 3520 | Typic Haplohemist | Mesic Histosol | |
Sapric Histosol | 342 | Typic Haplosaprist | Sapric Histosol | |
Few Evolutionated Soils (3583 km2) | Arenosol | 1030 | Typic Quartzisapmment | Eutric Arenosol |
Lithosol | 753 | Lithic Ustorthent | Lithic, Skeletic Lithosol | |
Protorrendzina | 1800 | Lithic Ustorthent | Lithic, Rendzic Leptosol | |
Anthrosols (2010 km2) | Saline Anthropic | 2000 | Dont have correlation | Salic Anthrosol |
Recultivated Anthropic | 10 | Dont have correlation | Hortic Anthrosol |
Secondly, there are the Hydromorphic soils (Gleysols), affected by the gleyization process, which is due to the formation of soils in conditions of cumulative plain with poor drainage (21.34 % of the total). In this case, it should be noted that the territory of Cuba, largely, is made up of plains (4/5 of the territory), which is corroborated with other soil formations in cumulative plains, such as Histosols (8.27 % of the total) and Vertisols. It is followed in extension by the Ferrallitic soils, formed largely of Miocene limestone in the plains, due to the peniplanation process that began at the end of the Neogene (6.21 % of the total).
The representative soils of tropical weathering (Allitics, Ferritics and Ferrallitics), as a whole, occupy a territory of 15,442 km2 and their presence is due to the formation over time, in stable reliefs such as plains, plateaus and surfaces stable in mountainous regions.
The least extensive soils are Fluvisols and Lithosols. In the case of Fluvisols, it is because there are no mighty rivers in Cuba, Cauto River in the plains is confined to several meters deep, and due to neotectonic movements in the Quaternary and in the terraces closest to the river there are soils Brown, formed from ancient alluvial sediments. Lithosols refer mainly to the so-called “Diente de Perro”, which occurs in the most recent quaternary terraces. In the case of rocky outcrops that occurred in the past due to tropical weathering, they rapidly transform into the B siallic horizon (B cambic), giving lead to the formation of Brown soils that are correlated with Cambisols in the World Reference Base classification of soils 2) or Inceptisols by the Soil Taxonomy classification of soils 1.
CONCLUSIONS
The area occupied by the Genetic Groupings and Types of Cuba´ soils is shown, based on the planimetric calculation of the 1: 250,000 scale soil map. Their extension responds to the conditions of soil formation, mainly due to the processes pedinplanation, hydromorphy and the presence of old stable surfaces.
The most extensive soils are soils of the Brown genetic Type, following in that order the Gelysols, Vertisols and Histosols
The soils that are typical formation of the tropical regions (Allitic, Ferritic and Ferrallitic) have an area a little greater than 15,000 km2.
It is notable that Fluvisols and Lithososls are very little extensive.
BIBLIOGRAFÍA
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Received: June 13, 2019; Accepted: March 31, 2021