Morphological, physical and chemical data of 58 soil profiles of Ferralsols and low activity clay Cambisols, Lixisols, Acrisols and Nitisols and of Alisols of the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) collection, described and sampled in eighteen different countries of tropical and subtropical regions, were selected to analyse their consistency and, or, variability and to search for properties to better describe and differentiate them. The soil profile descriptions were based on the guidelines of FAO and the FAO endorsed analytical methods of ISRIC. Frequence diagrams of the data show an asymmetric positively skewed and leptokurtic distribution for sand and silt fractions, specific surface, exchangeable bases and cation exchange capacity. Clustering soil colour hues, values and chromas rendered four distinct clusters, respectively of Rhodic, Rhodic/Xanthic (Haplic), Xanthic and Humic properties. The same technique applied to particle size distribution also originated four clusters, respectively of fine loamy, fine silty, clayey and fine clayey soils. Most of the soils analysed are acid, with low base saturation, except for Rhodic Nitisols and Rhodic Ferralsols, which present low exchangeable aluminium. Higher and variable values of this property are found in the other soil classes studied. Cation exchange capacity is also low and related to the kaolinitic and oxihydroxydic composition of the clay material. Regression analysis applied to cation exchange capacity resulted in low correlations with clay and silt content and higher with organic carbon and specific surface and clay content.
tropical soils; low activity clay soils; acid soils; low exchangeable bases