The rocky or stony soil or rocky turf is that formed by rocks of multiple sizes. Due to its condition it tends not to retain water, being indicated as good to support constructions and not recommended for growing food.
Due to their structure, soils are linked to a specific physical form. In the case of rocky soils, their physiognomy is known as lithosols or leptosols.
The rocky soil is characterized by appearing in steep areas and rocky outcrops. They have sparse vegetation and their thickness is less than ten centimeters.
Soils are the superficial part of the earth's crust, formed by the physical and chemical modifications of the rocks, and are biologically active.
They are of vital importance for the planet because they are a non-renewable resource. In this, a large part of the transformations of ecosystems take place.
Main characteristics of rocky soils
The most relevant characteristic of rocky soils is that they are semi-permeable. This makes it almost impossible to grow on these types of surfaces. Due to the large amount of rocks present, the soils have few nutrients and minerals.
On the other hand, natural or artificial fertilizers do not achieve their objective either, so the crops do not succeed.
Not all rocky soils have the same density. It is important to note on this typology that some contain few fragments greater than two millimeters with sand, lime and clay.
On the other hand, there are stony soils with abundant, large and heavy rocks that prevent both the cultivation and the analysis of the terrain.
Although this type of soils are recommended as ideal surfaces on which it is possible to build, when the rock density is important, the work of leveling the ground or drilling is almost impossible.
In many cases this type of soil can be used in the construction and engineering area as a filler material in the creation of roads, and also to form pavers.
On the other hand, due to their difficulty in absorbing water, floods do not occur in these lands and the formation of lagoons is rare.
Regarding their appearance, they tend to have a light brown or grayish color due to the abundant presence of stones.
Furthermore, on the surface they can give an impression of lightness. These soils are present in abundant areas around the world.
Vegetation
After several experiments it has been determined that plants of xerophilic origin can grow in rocky soils.
Some of the plants suitable for growing on stony soils are yarrow, lavender, and calendula.
Location
Regarding their location, they are naturally found in the rocky earth biome. Areas with large areas of rocky soil are found in South America.
These are specifically located in the Andean Cordillera, starting in the Venezuelan Andes all the way to Argentina. They are also found in much of the European continent.
References
- Hodgson, J. (1987). Soil sampling and description. Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from: books.google.es
- Iriondo, M. (2007). Introduction to geology. Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from: books.google.es
- The soil: its types. (2015). Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from: elpopular.pe
- Rocky soils. Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from: geogra.uah.es
- Floor. Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from: es.wikipedia.org