Mineral material (WRB)

Mineral material is one of the diagnostic materials used, in the WRB system, to discriminate some soils from others.

Description

Mineral material (from Celtic mine, mineral), the soil properties are dominated by mineral components.

Diagnostic criteria

Mineral material has one or both of the following :

• less than 20 percent organic carbon in the fine earth (by mass) if saturated with water for less than 30 consecutive days in most years without being drained

or :

• less than (12 + [clay percentage of the mineral fraction × 0.1]) percent organic carbon in the fine earth (by mass)

or :

• less than 18 percent organic carbon in the fine earth (by mass), if the mineral fraction has 60 percent or more clay

See also

• The FAO reference text, (2007 version)