| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| calcareous soil |
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(k lkâr´  s) (KEY) , soil formed largely by the weathering of calcareous rocks and fossil shell beds. Different varieties usually contain chalk, marl, and limestone and frequently a large amount of phosphates. They are often very fertile, as in the case of the buckshot soils of the S United States. Sometimes calcareous soils are flinty, thin, and dry. They often form a large part of the soil of deserts, which may prove very fertile when sufficient moisture for crops is applied. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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