# Fluvisol

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A **fluvisol** in the [World Reference Base for Soil Resources](/source/World_Reference_Base_for_Soil_Resources) (WRB)[1] is a genetically young soil in [alluvial](/source/Alluvial) [deposits](/source/Sediment) . Apart from river sediments, they also occur in [lacustrine](/source/Lake) and [marine](/source/Marine_(ocean)) deposits.[2] Fluvisols correlate with [fluvents](/source/Fluvent) and [fluvaquents](/source/Fluvaquent) of the [USDA soil taxonomy](/source/USDA_soil_taxonomy). The good natural fertility of most fluvisols and their attractive dwelling sites on river levees and higher parts in marine landscapes were recognized in prehistoric times.

Fluvisols are found on alluvial plains, river fans, valleys and tidal marshes on all continents and in all climate zones. Under natural conditions periodical flooding is fairly common. The soils have a clear evidence of stratification. [Soil horizons](/source/Soil_horizon) are weakly developed, but a distinct [topsoil](/source/Topsoil) horizon (but no mollic or umbric horizon) may be present.

Many dryland crops are grown on fluvisols, normally with some form of water control. On tropical Fluvisols with satisfactory irrigation and drainage paddy rice cultivation is widespread.

Some coastal lowlands have fluvisols with sulphidic material within the profile (a thionic horizon). These [acid sulfate soils](/source/Acid_sulfate_soil) have severe constraints for [agricultural](/source/Agricultural) use as low pH-values, toxic [aluminium](/source/Aluminium) levels and high concentrations of [salts](/source/Salt_(chemistry)). Tidal lands that are strongly saline are best kept under mangroves or some other salt-vegetation.

Major concentrations of fluvisols are found along rivers and lakes, e.g. in the [Amazon Basin](/source/Amazon_Basin), the [Ganges Plain](/source/Ganges_Plain) of India, the plains near [Lake Chad](/source/Lake_Chad) in [Central Africa](/source/Central_Africa), and the marshlands of [Brazil](/source/Brazil), [Paraguay](/source/Paraguay) and northern [Argentina](/source/Argentina). Also in deltaic areas, e.g. the deltas of the [Ganges](/source/Ganges)–[Brahmaputra](/source/Brahmaputra), [Indus](/source/Indus), [Mekong](/source/Mekong), [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi), [Nile](/source/Nile), [Niger](/source/Niger), [Orinoco](/source/Orinoco), [Po](/source/Po_(river)), [Rhine](/source/Rhine), [Rio de la Plata](/source/Rio_de_la_Plata), and [Zambezi](/source/Zambezi). Furthermore in areas of recent marine deposits, e.g. the coastal [lowlands](/source/Lowland) of [Sumatra](/source/Sumatra), [Kalimantan](/source/Kalimantan), [Irian Jaya](/source/Irian_Jaya) and [Papua New Guinea](/source/Papua_New_Guinea).

Acid sulfate soils are found in the coastal lowlands of [Southeast Asia](/source/Southeast_Asia), [West Africa](/source/West_Africa) and along the northeast coast of South America ([French Guiana](/source/French_Guiana), [Guyana](/source/Guyana), [Suriname](/source/Suriname) and [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela)).

## See also

- [Pedogenesis](/source/Pedogenesis)
- [Pedology (soil study)](/source/Pedology_(soil_study))
- [Soil classification](/source/Soil_classification)

## References

1. IUSS Working Group WRB (2022). ["World Reference Base for Soil Resources, fourth edition"](https://wrb.isric.org/files/WRB_fourth_edition_2022-12-18.pdf). International Union of Soil Sciences, Vienna.

1. [Major Soils of the World. ISRIC Wageningen, The Netherlands, 2001](https://www.isric.org/sites/default/files/major_soils_of_the_world/set4/fl/fluvisol.pdf)

## Further reading

- W. Zech, P. Schad, G. Hintermaier-Erhard: Soils of the World. Springer, Berlin 2022, Chapter 12.3.1. ISBN 978-3-540-30460-9

## External links

- [profile photos (with classification)](https://wrb.isric.org/picture-gallery/) WRB homepage
- [profile photos (with classification)](https://www.iuss.org/index.php?article_id=73|title=IUSS) IUSS World of Soils

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fluvisol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluvisol) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluvisol?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.