The Inceptisols

The Inceptisols are juvenile soils that have not yet acquired the distinct features of mature soils. Until recently the Inceptisols occupied the largest area

in the State, but were reduced to a minor soil when the volcanic ash soils or Andisols of Maui and Hawaii placed in a new order.

Inceptisols often occur on old alluvium, on steep land where constant exposure of new surfaces prevents soils from aging, and in poorly drained areas where soil development is delayed by stagnant waters. No generalizations about soil fertility are possible for Inceptisols, but terms such as eutr-(rich) and dystr-(infertile) in the soil name are intended to convey those qualities to the user of soil survey reports.