Acrisols are highly weathered soils occurring in warm temperate regions and the wetter parts of the tropics and subtropics. Acrisols develop mostly on old land surfaces with hilly or undulating topography with a natural vegetation type of a light forest. Being quite sensitive to erosion, Acrisols are often the dominant soil group on old erosional or depositional surfaces.
There are approximately 10 million km2 of Acrisols world-wide.
Acrisols can be characterized by accumulation of low activity clays in an argic subsurface horizon and by a low base saturation level. The chemical properties of Acrisols are quite poor, containing low level of nutrients and high levels of aluminum. These conditions mean rather limited soil use options.
Most of the European Acrisols are located as associated soils on the Iberian Peninsula and in Greece, but also can be found in Southern England, Denmark and in limited areas in Romania and Bulgaria.