Chernozem

A chernozem (CH) can be defined through :

• a mollic horizon with a moist chroma of 2 or less if the texture is finer than sandy loam, or less than 3.5 if the texture is sandy loam or coarser, both to a depth of at least 20 cm, or having these chromas directly below any plough layer

and :

• concentrations of secondary carbonates starting within 50 cm of the lower limit of the Ah horizon but within 200 cm from the soil surface

and :

• no petrocalcic horizon between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface

and :

• no secondary gypsum

and :

• no uncoated silt and sand grains on structural ped surfaces

Possible qualifiers

For each RSG, there are some possible prefix and suffix qualifiers :

Prefix qualifiers		Suffix qualifiers
Voronic Vermic Technic Leptic Vertic Endofluvic Endosalic Gleyic Vitric Andic Stagnic Petrogypsic Gypsic Petroduric Duric Petrocalcic Calcic Luvic Haplic		Anthric Glossic Tephric Sodic Pachic Oxyaquic Greyic Densic Skeletic Arenic Siltic Clayic Novic

Source

• The FAO website