GT-0602 · Histosol
Laguna del Tigre Histosol
A soil made of plants, keeper of carbon.
Soil profile
Tap a horizon to see its details.
Oi0–20 cm
Fibres and roots still recognisable to the naked eye.
- Munsell colour
- 7.5YR 2.5/1
- Texture
- Fibric organic
Oa120–70 cm
Black, paste-like organic matter, highly decomposed.
- Munsell colour
- 10YR 2/1
- Texture
- Sapric organic
Oa270–110 cm
Always water-saturated, without oxygen.
- Munsell colour
- 10YR 2/2
- Texture
- Sapric organic
Cg110–150 cm
Blue-grey clay. The colour reveals the lack of oxygen.
- Munsell colour
- 5B 5/1
- Texture
- Clay
In the wetland, leaves and roots fall into the water and do not fully rot. They pile up over thousands of years to form a black soil that stores carbon, like a giant piggy bank.
Histosols are made mostly of organic matter. Under water there is little oxygen, so plant remains decompose very slowly and accumulate. If the wetland is drained, that carbon returns to the air as CO₂.
Core idea: soils are carbon stores. Activity: compare leaf decomposition in a jar of water and in a jar of moist earth over four weeks. Links to climate change and ecosystems.
Typic Haplosaprist with 110 cm of sapric organic materials over a gleyed mineral horizon. Permanent aquic regime. Very high carbon stock; significant subsidence and emissions if drained. Recommended use, conservation.
- USDA Soil Taxonomy
- Typic Haplosaprist
- WRB 2022
- Sapric Histosol (Eutric)
See the scientific data
Analytical data by horizon
| Horizon | Depth (cm) | Munsell colour | Texture | pH (H₂O) | O.M. % | CEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oi | 0–20 | 7.5YR 2.5/1 | Fibric organic | 6.2 | 68 | 95 |
| Oa1 | 20–70 | 10YR 2/1 | Sapric organic | 6.5 | 54 | 110 |
| Oa2 | 70–110 | 10YR 2/2 | Sapric organic | 6.8 | 41 | 98 |
| Cg | 110–150 | 5B 5/1 | Clay | 7.4 | 2.5 | 30 |
CEC: cmol(+)/kg
- 6.2Oi
- 6.5Oa1
- 6.8Oa2
- 7.4Cg
- 68Oi
- 54Oa1
- 41Oa2
- 2.5Cg
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