Short notes on the Order of Ultisols

i. The Ultisols get their name from the word ultimate.

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ii. They represent the ultimate stage of weathering and soil formation in the continental United States.

iii. Ultisols form in environments with a long, frostless season and abundant rainfall.

iv. Chemical activity has broken most of the parent material down into small particles with simple and durable chemical structure.

v. Percolating water has removed many of the soluble nutrients and carried a significant amount of clay downward in the soil.

vi. The diagnostic features of the ultisols are low base saturation and a subsurface layer of clay accumulation.

vii. Soils in swamps or cold places usually have too many nutrients or too much organic matter to be considered ultisols.

viii. Sandy soils cannot develop the necessary horizon of clay accumulation.

ix. The long growing season is favourable for agriculture, but farming the ultisols is usually expensive, because they are prone to leaching and erosion.