1. from the Latin mollis – soft)
MOLLISOLS
from the Latin mollis – soft)

2. Characteristics prairie or grassland soil dark-colored surface horizon
highly fertile, dark surface horizon
rich in calcium & magnesium (based)
found in climates with pronounced dry season
7% of glacier-free land surface

3. HORIZONS

4. Mollic Epipedon
mollisols are often classified by a deep surface (A) horizon
typically cm
long-term addition of OM from plant roots
soft, granular soil structure
defining diagnostic feature

5. Suborders
Albolls — wet soils; aquic soil moisture with an eluvial horizon
Aquolls — wet soils; aquic soil moisture
Cryolls — cold climate; frigid or cryic soil temperature
Gelolls — very cold climate; mean annual soil temperature < 0 °C
Rendolls — lime parent material
Udolls — humid climate
Ustolls — subhumid climate
Xerolls — Mediterranean climate

9. sources
Brady, N.C. and Weil, R.R. (1996). ‘The Nature and Properties of Soils.’ 11th edition. (Prentice Hall, New Jersey).
Buol, S.W., Southard, R.J., Graham, R.C., and McDaniel, P.A. (2003). ‘Soil Genesis and Classification.’ 5th edition. (Iowa State University Press - Blackwell, Ames.)
PETERS FAMILY FARM near St. Peter, MN