ChileanJAR

A great number of soil studies (soil surveys, pedogenesis, prefile descriptions) haya been considered to create this map of Associations of big soil groups in Chile. In naming map units Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staft. 1990) was used as relerence system. In the desertic region only Orthids and Orthents have been described. No argillic horizons have been lound, attributed to the extreme dryness of that zone. On the contrary. in the arid zone ("Norte Chico") argillic horizons are more or less frequent (Argids). Ochrepts. Xerolls and Xeralls are the main soils in the Central Region besides some weakly developed "trumaos" (Xerands). Volcanic ash soils are the mast important soils in the extreme south regían, principally Udands and Aquands, together with organic soils (Hemists and Saprists). Itwas concludedthat soil data in both north and south extremezones ofthe country are scaree sothat map units haya to be considerad only as tentative.