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Abstract Several representative soil profiles of the Peruvian Amazon jungle were collected in the vicinity of Yurimaguas and Iquitos and characterized in the laboratory in order to classify them according to the US soil taxonomic system. The most extensive well‐drained soils are Typic Paleudults; the poorly‐drained ones are Typic Tropaqualfs or Tropaquepts. The Paleudults were predominantly of kaolinitic mineralogy with small quantities of 2:1 minerals present. The poorly‐drained soils were predominantly montmorillonitic or of mixed mineralogy. Where coarsetextured parent materials occur in localized areas. Tropaquods and Haplorthods are found. High base status Haplaquolls are found along the margins of the Amazon and Napo Rivers. The base status of the Paleudults is not as low as in the main soils of the South American savannas. The base status of the more poorly‐drained soils is higher. Evidence from surrounding countries suggests that these soils are very extensive in the Upper Amazon Basin of South America, outside the influence of the Brazilian and Guyana shields. These areas have been previously mapped as Oxisols or their equivalents.
Sánchez et al. (Tue,) studied this question.