Pedogenesis and Soil Taxonomy : The Soil Orders

Pedogenesis and Soil Taxonomy: Concepts and Interactions

Soil Genesis and Classification, Sixth Edition, builds on the success of the previous editions to present an unparalleled resource on soil formation and classification. Featuring a color plate section containing multiple soil profiles, this text also includes information on new classification systems and emerging technologies and databases with updated references throughout. Covering the diverse needs of both the academic and professional communities, this classic text will be a must have reference for all those in soil science and related fields.

Concepts and definitions of soil; terminology and relationships between segments of the earth's crust; ABC system of horizon nomenclature; introduction to ways of thinking about and studying soil genesis; mineral and organic matter transformation; eluviation and illuviation and closely related processes (diffusion, wicking); phyto- and other biocycling; pedoturbation and soil structure formation; erosion, alluvation and other additions to soils; sulfidization and sulfuricization; salinization, solonization, and solodization; calcification; lessivage; podzolization; latosolization and lateritization; gleization; general principles and kinds of soil classification systems; soil classification in the past - roots and philosophies; history leading to the development of soil taxonomy; pedons and polypedons and their relationship to mapping delineations; soil taxonomy: epipedons; diagnostic subsurface horizons; pans and plinthite; proposed special diagnostic characteristics for highly man-influenced soils; other characteristics and terms used in defining mineral soils and classes of them; dignostic criteria for organic soils; general view of division of soils into orders; entisols; vertisols; inceptisols; aridisols; mollisols; spodosols; alfisols; ultisols; oxisols; histosols; the factors of soil formation - overview; soils in relation to their parent material; soils in relation to their age; soils in relation to climate; soils in relation to organisms other than man; effects of man; soils in relation to topography; minerals and mineral stabilities; overview for water movement in soils and soil genetic effects; subgroups of udorthents and classification of some highly man-influenced soils; textural triangles.

Developments in soil classification have accompanied parallel progress in our understanding of the soil system. However the theories behind the classifications and the purposes for which they were created have changed over time. The editors hope that this comprehensive synthesis will help to rally soil scientists around the world to develop an acce

Morphology of soils; Soil micromorphology; Soil composition and characterization; Weathering and soil formation; Pedogenic processes: internal, soil-building processes; Soil environment: External factors of soil formation; Parent material: initial material of the solum; Relief and landscape factors of the soil and its environment; Contributions of climate to the total soil environment; Organisms: biological portion of the soil and its environment; Time as a factor of soil formation; Principles and historical development of soil classification; Modern soil classification systems; Entisols:recently formed soils: Vertisols: shrinking and swelling dark clay soils; In ceptisols: emleryonic soils with few diagnostic features; Aridisols: soils of arid regions; Mollisols: grassland soils of steppes and prairies; Spodosols: soils with subsoil, accumulations of sesquioxide and humus; Alfisols:high base status soils; Ultisols: low base status forest soils: Oxisols: sesquioxide - rihch, highly weathered soils of the intertropical regions; Histosols: organic soils.