Siliceous soil

Siliceous soils are formed from rocks that have silica (SiO₂) as a principal constituent. The parent material of siliceous soils may include quartz sands, chert, quartzite, quartz reefs, granite, rhyolite, ademellite, dellenite, quartz sandstone, quartz siltstone, siliceous tuff, among others.^[1] These parent materials sometimes originate from silica-secreting organisms such as radiolarians, diatoms, or some types of sponges.^[2]

Characteristics

Soils high in siliceous parent material typically have:^[1]

• lower cation-exchange capacity,
• higher susceptibility to external sources of sodium,
• lower buffering potential,
• higher acidity, and
• higher erodibility

Agriculture

Siliceous soils in vineyard soils have been linked to larger grapes with increased tannin content.^[3][4]

See also

• List of vineyard soil types