# Luvisol

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{{Short description|Soil type}}
{{FOR | the order in the Canadian system of soil classification | Canadian system of soil classification#Luvisolic Order}}
{{Infobox soil
|name = Luvisol
|alternative_name = 
|type = 
|type_link = 
|image = ISRIC monolith NL-001.jpg
|image_size = 250px
|image_caption = Luvisol from the [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands)
|classification_system = [WRB](/source/World_Reference_Base_for_Soil_Resources), other
|profile = AhEBtC
|parent_material =
|code = LV
|climate = Humid temperate climate
}}
'''Luvisols''' are a group of soils, comprising one of the 32 Reference Soil Groups in the international system of soil classification, the [World Reference Base for Soil Resources](/source/World_Reference_Base_for_Soil_Resources) (WRB).<ref name = WRB>{{Cite web|url = https://wrb.isric.org/files/WRB_fourth_edition_2022-12-18.pdf|title = World Reference Base for Soil Resources, fourth edition|author=IUSS Working Group WRB|year = 2022|publisher = International Union of Soil Sciences, Vienna}}</ref> They are widespread, especially in temperate climates, and are generally fertile. Luvisols are widely used for agriculture.<ref name = BdW>{{cite book | title = Böden der Welt | year = 2014 | edition = 2nd | last1 = Zech | first1 = Wolfgang | last2 = Schad | first2 = Peter | last3 = Hintermeier-Erhard | first3 = Gerd | language = German | publisher = Springer Spektrum | location = Berlin}}</ref>

==Distribution==
thumb|Global distribution
Luvisols cover 500–600 million ha of land area, mainly in the temperate zones. They form on a wide variety of mineral parent materials. In Mediterranean regions, the formation of hematite can produce red-coloured Chromic Luvisols.<ref name = BdW/>
==Description and formation==
The main characteristic of Luvisols is an argic horizon, a subsurface zone with higher clay content than the material above it.<ref name = WRB/> This typically arises as clay is washed downward by water and accumulates at greater depth. The clay minerals have not been extensively weathered and are therefore of the high-activity, 2:1 type, giving these soils high [cation exchange capacities](/source/Cation-exchange_capacity) and high base saturation.<ref name = WRB/><ref name = BdW/> In uneroded landscapes, a lighter, clay-depleted eluvial horizon occurs above the argic horizon.<ref name = BdW/>

==In other classification systems==
The [Canadian system of soil classification](/source/Canadian_system_of_soil_classification) includes Luvisols. In the [USDA Soil Taxonomy](/source/USDA_soil_taxonomy), Luvisols are typically classified as Alfisols.<ref name = BdW/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* W. Zech, P. Schad, G. Hintermaier-Erhard: Soils of the World. Springer, Berlin 2022, Chapter 4.3.2. {{ISBN|978-3-540-30460-9}}

== External links ==
* [https://wrb.isric.org/picture-gallery/ profile photos (with classification)] WRB homepage
* [https://www.iuss.org/index.php?article_id=73|title=IUSS profile photos (with classification)] IUSS World of Soils
* [https://wrb.isric.org/teaching-material/ videos with instructions how to describe and classify a Luvisol] WRB homepage
{{Soil type}}
Category:Pedology

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