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Soil Taxonomy- Properties of Soil

Soil Taxonomy- Properties of Soil. Plant & Soil Science. Property #1: Soil has Horizons (layers). Property #2: Soil has Color…. Property #3: pH Levels. Soil Property #4 - Organic Content. Desert soils have low organic content. Grasslands have high organic content.

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Soil Taxonomy- Properties of Soil

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  1. Soil Taxonomy- Properties of Soil Plant & Soil Science

  2. Property #1: Soil has Horizons (layers)

  3. Property #2: Soil has Color…

  4. Property #3: pH Levels

  5. Soil Property #4 - Organic Content • Desert soils have low organic content. • Grasslands have high organic content. • The exact type of vegetation is also important because it also affects pH. • Pine needles add acid to the soil. • Grasses conserve calcium and magnesium (bases). • Most crops like a neutral pH.

  6. Order

  7. Soil Taxonomy- 12 Soil Orders • Soils are classified into into six categories based on diagnostic characteristics • The last (largest) category will place the soils into one of the 12 Soil Orders.

  8. Soil Taxonomy Fine-loamy mixed, superactive, mesicAquic Argiudolls (This is the name of a specific soil in Soil Taxonomy) • Orders (12) • Suborders (54) • Great Groups (211) • Subgroups (1,100+) • Family (7,000+) • Series (a lot!) This is the name of one Of the 12 large categories Mollisol - oll Oder - root of order

  9. Orders • Highest and most general of the soil classification system (similar to the phylum in plant taxonomy) • Based on conditions under which the soil developed Fine-loamy mixed, superactive, mesicAquic Argiudolls Order oll = Mollisols

  10. Sub Order Order Suborders • Grouped by similarities in soil formation such as wetter/dryer soil, colder/warmer soil, etc. Fine-loamy mixed, superactive, mesicAquic Argiudolls Ud = Udic Moisture

  11. Great Groups (not required to know) • Based on differences between soil horizons Fine-loamy mixed, superactive, mesicAquic Argiudolls Sub Order Order Great Group Argi = Clay accumulation

  12. Sub Groups (not required to know) • Describes a profile characteristic, wetness, sand, etc. Fine-loamy mixed, superactive, mesicAquic Argiudolls Sub Order Sub Group Order Great Group Aquic = wet soil

  13. Family (not required to know) • Based on soil properties that affect management and root penetration, such as texture, temperature, and depth Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesicAquic Argiudolls Sub Order Sub Group Family Order Texture, clay minerals, CEC, temp, Great Group

  14. Series (not required to know) • Named from the town or landscape feature near where the soil was first recognized (Eleva= Eleva, WI or Gale for Galesville, WI .) Fine-loamy mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Argiudolls Sub Order Sub Group Family Order Great Group

  15. Soil Orders – Upper Midwest

  16. Entisol Inceptisol Andisols Spodosols Mollisols Alfisols Ultisols Oxisols Aridisols Vertisols Histosols Gelisols 12 Soil Orders - Each Order has a diagnostic epipedon and subsurface horizons – which could be “none”.WEB SITE for soil orders = www.mines.uidaho.edu/pses/teach_res

  17. The 12 Soil Orders

  18. Orders with unique parent materials:

  19. Andisols (and) • Volcanic ash soils.

  20. Histosols (ist) • Organic soils.

  21. Vertisols (ert) • High shrink/swell clay soils.

  22. Orders formed in unique environments.

  23. Aridisols (id) • Arid climates. • CaCO3 accumulation in subsoil.

  24. Gelisols (el) • Colder climates. • Permafrost layer within 2 m of surface.

  25. Oxisols (ox) • Tropics and subtropics. • Intensely weathered.

  26. Orders by age.

  27. Entisols (ent) • ‘Baby’ soil. • Little to no morphological development.

  28. Inceptisols (ept) • ‘Toddler’ soils. • Weakly developed sub-surface horizons.

  29. Ultisols (ult) • Older soils. • “Ultimately weathered”. • Strongly leached. • Sub-surface clay accumulation. • < 35% base sat. in sub-soil.

  30. Orders developed under unique vegetative ecosystems.

  31. Alfisols (alf) • Forest soils. • Usually an A-E-B type horizon development. • The A horizon is usually less than 25 cm.

  32. Mollisols (oll) • Grasslands soil. • Thick, dark A horizon. • High % base saturation.

  33. Spodosols (od) • Acid forest soils. • Usually sandy. • Thick, bright white E horizon. • Sub-surface layer of accumulated metal-humus complex (Bhs and Bs horizons).

  34. Summary: • 3 orders with unique parent materials (Andisols, Histisols, Vertisols). • 3 orders with unique environments (Aridisols, Gelisols, Oxisols). • 3 orders by age of development (Entisols, Inceptisols, Ultisols). • 3 orders by unique vegetative influence (Alfisols, Mollisols, Spodosols).

  35. Resources • http://soils.usda.gov/technical/soil_orders/ • http://www.soils4teachers.org/lessons-and-activities • http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/soilorders/orders.htm

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