In which regions of China are cinnamon soils distributed, and what crops are suitable for growing there?

In which regions of China are cinnamon soils distributed? What are they suitable for growing? Cinnamon soil refers to a semi-leached soil developed in well-drained terrain positions in the warm temperate semi-humid region, with weak leaching and accumulation of carbonates, and a brownish soil with secondary clayification phenomena, also known as brown forest soil. Its soil-forming parent material is rich in lime, and the soil-forming process is in the decalcification stage; it is a soil with clayification and calcareous leaching-deposition characteristics.

Cinnamon soils are widely distributed along the Mediterranean coast of Western Europe, northern Africa, Russia, the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, and western South America, and also exist in Australia.

In which regions of China are cinnamon soils distributed? In China, cinnamon soils are mainly distributed between 34~40°N and 103~122°E, namely in the Guanzhong region, southeastern Shanxi, western Henan, as well as the low hills, alluvial fans and high terraces of the Yanshan, Taihang, Lüliang and Qinling mountains; in the horizontal zone they lie west of brown earth, and in the vertical zone they lie below brown earth, often appearing as complex area distributions. They extend from the piedmont zone of the Yanshan and Taihang mountains in the north, east to the piedmont low hills of the northwestern and southwestern parts of the Tai and Yi mountain areas, west to southeastern Shanxi and the Guanzhong Basin of Shaanxi, and south to the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains and the line of the Yellow River. They generally occur below 500m altitude, with the underground water table below 3m, and the parent material is varied, including weathered products of various rocks, but still mainly loess-like material.

In the cinnamon soil region, the average annual temperature is 10~14°C, precipitation is 500~800mm, and evaporation is 1500~2000mm; it belongs to the warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate. Its natural vegetation is represented by dry bright forests such as Liaodong oak, black locust and cypress, as well as shrub steppe represented by sour jujube, Vitex negundo var. heterophylla and thatch grass. It is the main producing area of wheat, corn, cotton and apples in northern China, generally with three crops in two years or two crops in one year.

What are cinnamon soils suitable for growing? The warm temperate semi-dry monsoon region where cinnamon soils are distributed has relatively good light and heat conditions, and most of it has already been reclaimed as farmland, suitable for growing many kinds of dry crops, generally allowing three crops in two years or two crops in one year. The soil layer is deep and the tillage performance is good, making it the main cultivated soil of the region. Because the main body is deep and the soil texture is moderate, it is widely suitable for growing wheat (mostly winter wheat), corn, sweet potato, peanut, cotton, tobacco, apple and other food and cash crops.