6.2.1 Entisols

Sandy soils without any enrichment of CaCO3 (secondary CaCO3), gypsum, salts, gravels, hardpan (30% of survey area).

6.2.2 Aridisols

Soils with the accumulation of salts, CaCO3, gypsum, clay, hardpan/gatch etc. (70% of survey area).

6.3Soil Suborders

At the second level of soil taxonomy hierarchy seven soil suborders have been mapped.

Salids—the soils in the order Aridisols that have a salic horizon within 100 cm of the soil surface.

Gypsids—the soils in the order Aridisols that have a gypsic or petrogypsic horizon within 100 cm of the soil surface and do not have a petrocalcic horizon overlying these horizons.

Argids—the soils in the order Aridisols that have an argillic horizon and do not have a petrocalcic horizon within 100 cm of the soil surface.

Calcids—the soils in the order Aridisols that have a calcic or petrocalcic horizon within 100 cm of the soil surface.

Cambids—the soils in the order Aridisols that have a cambic horizon within 100 cm of the soil surface.

Psamments—the soils in the order Entisols that have less than 35 % (by volume) rock fragments and a texture class of loamy fine sand or coarser in all layers (sandy loam lamellae are permitted) within the particle-size control section.

Orthents—the soils in the order Entisols that occur on recent erosional surfaces. As such they typically represent soils that display a high content of rock fragment, sea shells etc. The soils are sandy or loamy in texture, are well drained.

6.4Soil Great Groups

At the third level of soil taxonomy hierarchy ten soil great groups have been mapped in both soil surveys of Kuwait (KISR 1999a, b). Haplosalids are not recorded in the soil survey for the state of Kuwait, but are likely to be recorded in future soil survey work in Kuwait, therefore, these are also added in the following section and Table 6.1.

•Haplocalcids—the soils with calcic horizon in the upper 1 m.

•Petrocalcids—the soils with petrocalcic horizon in the upper 1 m.

•Calcigypsids—the gypsids (with gypsic horizon) soil that also have a calcic horizon within 100 cm of the soil surface.

•Petrogypsids—the soils that have gypsic hardpan (petrogypsic horizon) within upper 1 m.

•Aquisalids—the hypersaline (salic horizon) soils (coastal & inland sabkha) with water table within 1 m of the soil surface.

•Haplosalids—the hypersaline (salic horizon) soils (coastal & inland sabkha) without water table within 1 m of the soil surface.

•Torriorthents—the soils that have gravelly layers (gravels/sea shells > 35% by volume) within upper 1 m.

•Torripsamments—the soil that have deep desert sand without any accumulation.

•Haplogypsids—the soils that have gypsic horizon within upper 1 m.

•Argigypsids—the soils that have both the argillic and gypsic horizons within upper 1 m.

•Gypsiargids—the argids (with argillic horizon) that have also a gypsic horizon within 150 cm of the soil surface.

6.5Soil Subgroups

At the fourth level of soil taxonomy hierarchy eighteen soil subgroups have been mapped in both reconnaissance and semi-detailed soil surveys of Kuwait (KISR 1999a, b). Typic Haplosalids was not recorded but likely to be recorded in future surveys work in Kuwait therefore, it is added in the list below and Table 6.2.

•Typic Haplocalcids—the soils with calcic horizon in the upper 1 m.

•Typic Petrocalcids—the soils with petrocalcic horizon in the upper 1 m.

•Calcic Petrocalcids—it is petrocalcids as defined above, but it has calcic horizon above the hardpan.

•Typic Petrogypsids—the soils that have gypsic hardpan (petrogypsic horizon) within upper 1 m.

•Calcic Petrogypsids—same as Petrogypsids defined above but has calcic horizon above the hardpan.

•Petrocalic Petrogypsids—same as Petrogypsids defined above but has petrocalcic horizon above the petrogypsic hardpan.

•Petrocalcic Salidic Petrogypsids—same as Petrocalcic Petrogypsids but has ECe of more than 8 to less than 30 dS m−1 in a layer 10 cm or more thick, within

100cm of the soil surface.

•Typic Calcigypsids—the gypsids (with gypsic horizon) soil that also has a calcic horizon within 100 cm of the soil surface.

•Lithic Calcigypsids—Calcigypsids that have a lithic contact within 50 cm of the soil surface.

•Leptic Haplogypsids—a gypsic horizon starting in the upper 18 cm.

•Typic Haplogypsids—the soils that have gypsic horizon within upper 1 m but below 18 cm.

•Calcic Salidic Argigypsids—Argigypsids that have a calcic horizon overlying the gypsic horizon, but has ECe of more than 8 to less than 30 dS m−1 in a layer

10cm or more thick, within 100 cm of the soil surface.

•Typic Gypsiargids—The argids (argillic horizon) that also have gypsic horizon within 150 cm of the soil surface.

•Gypsic Aquisalids—hypersaline soil (salic horizon) with gypsic horizon and water table in the upper 1 m.

•Typic Aquisalids—hypersaline soil (salic horizon) with water table in the upper

1m.

•Typic Haplosalids—hypersaline soil (salic horizon) without water table in the upper 1 m.

•Salidic Torriorthents—sandy soil with high content of rock or shell fragments

(exceeding 35%) in the upper 100 cm of the soil surface, and ECe of more than 8 to less than 30 dS m−1 in a layer 10 cm or more thick, within 100 cm of the soil

surface.

•Typic Torripsammnts—the soil that have deep desert sand without any accumulation.

•Lithic Torripsamments—same as typic torripsamments but has lithic contact at 45–75 cm depth.