“…These soils are classified as Cambic Leptosols, Cambisols, Luvisols, Nitisols and Haplic Vertisols (Chromic) according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (IUSS working group WRB, 2006). Several hypotheses have been used to explain Terra Rossa formation: (a) rock and climate as principal soil forming factors and dissolution of limestone as the main process that produces lime-free residues (Kubiëna, 1953;Bronger et al, 1983;Scholten and Andriesse, 1986); (b) the contribution of allochthonous materials, mainly of eolian origin, in the USA (Olson et al, 1980), Israel (Danin et al, 1983), Turkey (Aydinalp, 1997), the Mediterranean region (Yaalon, 1997;Durn, 2003;Muhs et al, 2010), Croatia (Durn et al, 1999), Jamaica (Muhs and Budhan, 2009), and México (Cabadas et al, 2010); (c) the residual dissolution of red limestone formed by debris mud, ash or eolian dust, principally in the Bahamas, Antilles, México, USA (Florida, Texas, and Kentucky), Spain, Israel and Australia (Merino et al, 2006ab;Merino and Banerjee, 2008). The latter hypothesis refers to the replacement of limestone by authigenic clay along a narrow reaction front.…”