Soil Descriptions
Descriptions of soil map units arranged physiographically (i.e. according to where it occurs in the landscape)
Contents
- Soils of the coastlands, valley floors and their margins
- Soils of the lowlands and foothills - moderately dissected landscapes
- Soils of the lowlands and foothills - slightly dissected landscapes
- Soils of the lowlands and foothills - strongly dissected landscapes
- Soils of the lowlands and foothills - very slightly dissected landscapes
- Soils of the uplands - moderately dissected landscapes
- Soils of the uplands - slightly dissected landscapes
- Soils of the uplands - very slightly dissected landscapes
Soils of the coastlands, valley floors and their margins #
- 1 Loga sandy clay
- 1a Loga peaty sand
- 2 Lufi sand
- 2a Lufi gravelly sand
- 3 Fusi sand
- 3a Fusi shallow grey sand over basalt
- 3b Fusi stony and bouldery sand and stony clay
- 4 Mutiatele mottled sand
- 4a Mutiatele peaty loamy sand and sandy peat
- 5 Apia silty clay
- 6 Namoa clay loam
- 6a Namoa peaty silt loam
- 6b Namoa shallow peaty clay over basalt
- 7 Lalovi peat
- 8 Latalua loamy peat
- 9 Sauniatu gravelly sandy clay loam
- 9a Sauniatu silty clay loam
- 9b Sauniatu loamy sand
- 10 Vaiola silty clay loam and gravelly loam
- 11 Falevao silty clay loam
- 11a Falevao slightly mottled silty clay loam
- 12 Ma'asina stony clay
- 12a Ma'asina stony and bouldery clay
- 12b Ma'asina very bouldery clay
- 12H Ma'asina hill soils
- 13 Vaigafa silty clay loam
- 14 Lano silty clay loam and peaty clay loam
- 15 Manmade soils
- 16 Palapala peaty loam
Soils of the lowlands and foothills - moderately dissected landscapes #
- 30H Olomanu hill soils
- 30S Olomanu steepland soils
- 31 Vailele stony silty clay loam
- 32 Moamoa stony clay
- 50 Vini clay
- 50H Vini hill soils
- 51H Nu'utele hill soils
- 51S Nu'utele steepland soils
- 51V Nu'utele steepland soils, very steep phase
- 52 Tafua silty clay loam
- 52H Tafua hill soils
- 53S Folu steepland soils
- 54H Mulimauga hill soils
- 54S Mulimauga steepland soils
- 55 Olomauga stony silty clay
- 55H Olomauga hill soils
- 56 Fagapolo silty clay
- 57H Tiotala hill soils
- 57S Tiotala steepland soils
- 57V Tiotala steepland soils, very steep phase
- 58 Papauta silty clay
- 58a Papauta stony silty clay
- 58b Papauta bouldery silty clay
- 58H Papauta hill soils
- 59 Avele stony silty clay loam
- 59a Avele very stony silty clay loam
- 59b Avele bouldery silty clay loam
- 59H Avele hill soils
- 60 Solosolo silty clay loam
- 60a Solosolo stony and bouldery clay
- 61H Salani hill soils
- 61S Salani steepland soils
- 61V Salani steepland soils, very steep phase
- 62 Etemuli silty clay loam
- 62a Etemuli stony silty clay loam
- 62b Etemuli bouldery silty clay loam
- 62H Etemuli hill soils
- 63H Aleipata hill soils
- 63S Aleipata steepland soils
- 63V Aleipata steepland soils, very steep phase
- 64 Falealili silty clay loam
- 64a Falealili stony silty clay loam
- 64b Falealili very stony silty clay loam
- 64H Falealili hill soils
- 65 Fagaga silty clay loam
- 65a Fagaga stony silty clay loam
- 65b Fagaga very stony silty clay loam
- 65H Fagaga hill soils
Soils of the lowlands and foothills - slightly dissected landscapes #
- 23 Vaisala stony silt loam
- 23H Vaisala hill soils
- 24 Sataua stony silty clay loam
- 24a Sataua bouldery silty clay loam
- 24H Sataua hill soils
- 25 Saleimoa stony silty clay loam
- 25a Saleimoa bouldery silty clay loam
- 25H Saleimoa hill soils
- 26H Neiafu hill soils
- 26S Neiafu steepland soils
- 27H Mulifanua hill soils
- 27S Mulifanua steepland soils
- 28 Magia stony clay loam
- 28a Magia bouldery clay loam
- 29 A'ana stony silty clay
- 29a A'ana stony silty clay loam
- 29b A'ana bouldery silty clay
- 29c A'ana shallow bouldery silty clay loam
- 29H A'ana hill soils
- 40 Lefaga stony silty clay loam
- 40a Lefaga bouldery silty clay loam
- 40H Lefaga hill soils
- 41 Tanumalala stony silty clay loam
- 41a Tanumalala very stony silty clay loam
- 41b Tanumalala very bouldery silt loam
- 41H Tanumalala hill soils
- 42 Atua bouldery silty clay loam
- 42H Atua hill soils
- 43H Olo hill soils
- 43S Olo steepland soils
- 43V Olo steepland soils, very steep phase
- 44H Fa'amasa hill soils
- 44S Fa'amasa steepland soils
- 44V Fa'amasa steepland soils, very steep phase
- 45 Tapuele silty clay
- 46 Tafatafa stony silty clay loam
- 46a Tafatafa very bouldery silty clay loam
- 46b Tafatafa bouldery silty clay loam
- 46H Tafatafa hill soils
- 47 Aleisa stony silty clay loam
- 47a Aleisa bouldery silty clay loam
- 47H Aleisa hill soils
- 48 Salailua stony silty clay loam
- 48a Salailua bouldery silty clay
- 48H Salailua hill soils
- 49 Gaegae stony and bouldery sand and stony clay
- 49a Gaegae very stony silty clay loam
- 49H Gaegae hill soils
Soils of the lowlands and foothills - strongly dissected landscapes #
- 33 Vaipouli silty clay loam
- 34H Vaipapa hill soils
- 34S Vaipapa steepland soils
- 66H Papaloa hill soils
- 66S Papaloa steepland soils
- 66V Papaloa steepland soils, very steep phase
- 67 Sauaga clay
- 67H Sauaga hill soils
- 68 Luatuanu'u clay
- 68a Luatuanu' clay eroded phase
- 68H Luatuanu' hill soils
- 69H Upolu hill soils
- 69S Upolu steepland soils
- 69V Upolu steepland soils, very steep phase
- 70 Tuave clay
- 70H Tuave hill soils
- 71H Lata hill soils
- 71S Lata steepland soils
- 71V Lata steepland soils, very steep phase
- 72 Uafato silty clay
- 72H Uafato hill soils
Soils of the lowlands and foothills - very slightly dissected landscapes #
- 17 Matavanu sandy and fine gravel
- 17a Matavanu stony gravel
- 17aH Matavanu hill soils
- 18 Aopo loamy sand
- 18H Aopo hill soils
- 19 Falealupo bouldery silty clay loam
- 19a Falealupo bouldery silty clay loam, peaty phase
- 20 Pulea bouldery silt loam
- 21 Sasina stony and bouldery silty clay loam
- 21H Sasina hill soils
- 22H Alataua hill soils
- 22S Alataua steepland soils
- 35 Togitogiga bouldery silty clay loam
- 35a Togitogiga stony humic silt loam
- 35H Togitogiga hill soils
- 36 Afuiva bouldery silt loam
- 36H Afuiva hill soils
- 37 Asolelei stony silt loam
- 37H Asolelei hill soils
- 38 Puna gravelly clay loam
- 38H Puna hill soils
- 39H Tanutala hill soils
- 39S Tanutala steepland soils
Soils of the uplands - moderately dissected landscapes #
- 83 Afiamalu silt loam
- 83H Afiamalu hill soils
- 84H Lanuto'o hill soils
- 84S Lanuto'o steepland soils
- 84V Lanuto'o steepland soils, very steep phase
- 85 Tiavi silty clay loam
- 85a Tiavi stony silty clay loam
- 85b Tiavi stony and bouldery silty clay loam
- 85H Tiavi hill soils
- 86S Mata'ana steepland soils
Soils of the uplands - slightly dissected landscapes #
- 79 Salega humic stony silt loam
- 79H Salega hill soils
- 80H Elietoga hill soils
- 80S Elietoga steepland soils
- 81 Sili stony loam
- 82H Maugasili hill soils
- 82S Maugasili steepland soils
Soils of the uplands - very slightly dissected landscapes #
- 73 Mataoleafi gravelly sand
- 73a Mataoleafi gravel
- 73H Mataoleafi hill soils
- 74 Mu gravel
- 74H Mu hill soils
- 75 Maugamoa bouldery peaty silt loam
- 75H Maugamoa hill soils
- 76S Mafane steepland soils
- 77 Samoa gravelly bouldery loam
- 78S Savai'i steepland soils
Source of soil descriptions
Wright, A.C.S. 1963. Soils and Land Use of Western Samoa. NZ Soil Bureau Bulletin 22. Soil Bureau, NZ DSIR. 192p.
Land Resource Planning Study Western Samoa, Asian Development Bank TA No. 1065 - SAM, Final Report, ANZDEC Ltd Consultants in association with DSIR Land and Soil Sciences, January 1990.
Leslie, D.M. 2010. A Reference Manual for Understanding and Managing the Soil Resources of Samoa, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), FAO Field Publication
