A zonal soil (US soil classification mollisol, sub-order xeroll), found in more arid grasslands. The xerophytic nature of much of the grassland under which chestnut soils develop retards the development of humus, and there is an accumulation of calcium carbonate in the B horizon. Liu et al. (2007) J. Arid Envs. 68, 4, in a study of soils in the semi-arid steppes of China, find that chestnut soils are the most prone to soil erosion. See also Babayan and Protopopov (1997) Eurasian Soil Sci. 30, 10.