Table 4 Characteristics of soils associated with risk of classic Kaposi sarcoma (cKS).
From: Risk of classic Kaposi sarcoma with exposures to plants and soils in Sicily
Main features | Main land use | Other Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|
Soils with higher cKS risk | |||
Eutric regosol and/or lithosol | Very shallow soils with an A-C profile (eutric regosol) or shallow soil with an A-R profile (lithosols). Eutric regosol is generally clayey in texture and with a sub-alkaline reaction. Features of lithosols are strongly dependent on those of the parent material on which they evolve. | Natural grazing. Durum wheat is cultivated on Eutric regosol that is not steep. | Prone to erosion. Low agronomic capability. |
Chromic and/or pellic vertisol | Deep or very deep soils with an A-Bss-C profile. Texture is clayey throughout and is also characterized by swelling and shrinking processes due to the presence of montmorillonitic clay. | Arable land most commonly cultivated with durum wheat and summertime vegetables (e.g. tomato, watermelon). | Very frequent in flat areas or on gentle slopes. Good agronomic capability, with wide and deep cracks in summertime. |
Soils with lower cKS risk | |||
Rendzina | Medium depth soils, A-R and in many cases A-Bw-R in profile, that evolve on limestone or dolomitic limestone substrata. Texture ranges from clay-loamy to loam. | Natural grazing. Improvable by human action for some crops. | Moderate agronomic capability. Uncommon in Sicily. |
Orthic luvisol | Moderately deep soils, with an A-Bt-C profile showing a brown argillic B horizon whose color is due to a mixture of clay of different types, organic matter and iron. Texture tends to be clayey in the whole profile, and the amount of clay increases in the Bt horizon. | Vineyards, fruit orchards and, in some cases, vegetables. | Moderate agronomic capability. |
Vertic cambisol | Moderately deep soils, with an A-Bss-C profile showing a brown vertic B horizon. Texture is clayey in the whole profile. | Arable land most commonly cultivated with durum wheat. | Moderate to good agronomic capability, with wide cracks in summertime. |
Eutric cambisol | Moderately deep soils, with an A-Bw-C profile showing a brown cambic B horizon. Texture is clayey in the whole profile. | Arable land, especially for orchards and vineyards. | Quite good agronomic capability. |