Philosophies of soil taxonomy

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Philosophies of soil taxonomy
Comprehensive scientific systems e.g. USDA Soil
Taxonomy, FAO World Reference Base for Soil
Resources
Should we classify soil based on what soil is
or what soil does ??
Technical systems e.g. NC soil management
groups, USDA capability classes
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The origin of USDA Soil Taxonomy
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USDA Soil Taxonomy is a hierarchical
system Orders 12 Suborders 63 Great groups
319   Subgroups 2,484 Families gt 8,000 Soil
Series gt19,000
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Derivation of Soil Order names
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Distribution of soil orders in the US
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Entisols new soils sands, river bottoms
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Inceptisols immature soils steep
slopes floodplains
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Alfisols
The central concept of Alfisols is that of soils
that have an argillic, a kandic, or a natric
horizon and a base saturation of 35 or greater.
fertile forest soils
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Ultisols red and yellow acid soils old
soils highly leached
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Iron and humus accumulation
Spodosols sandy, pine forest soils citrus
soils
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Vertisols cracking clay soils black cotton
soils gumbo soils
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Histosols muck soils peat soils
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Mollisols black prairie soils
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Searchable web-key to soil orders, suborders,
great groups and subgroups
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Conceptual chronosequence
Entisol Inceptisol Alfisol Ultisol
Richter and Markewitz (2001)
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16 soil systems of NC
Soil system (aka soil association) soils that
occur together within a landscape
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The 300 soil series found in NC have been
assigned to soil management groups that provide a
basis for common management practices and yield
expectations. The 62 soil management groups are
divided up among the states 3 physiographic
regions as follows Coastal Plain SM groups
1-28 Piedmont SM groups 101-117 Mountains SM
groups 201-217
http//www.soil.ncsu.edu/nmp/SMG_Final_2000.pdf
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Piedmont SM groups with drainage limitations
http//www.soil.ncsu.edu/nmp/ncnmwg/soils/smg.htm
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Crop management recommendations are available for
NC Soil MGs
Crop
Soil management group
Condition
http//www.virtualfarmersmarket.com/soil_tables/Ta
ble17.htm
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USDA capability classes
Class I contains soils having few limitations for
cultivation Class II contains soils having some
limitations for cultivation Class III contains
soils having severe limitations for
cultivation Class IV contains soils having very
severe limitations for cultivation Class V
contains soils unsuited to cultivation, although
pastures can be improved and benefits from proper
management can be expected Class VI contains
soils unsuited to cultivation, although some may
be used provided unusually intensive management
is applied Class VII contains soils unsuited to
cultivation and having one or more limitations
which cannot be corrected Class VIII contains
soils and landforms restricted to use as
recreation, wildlife, water supply or asthetic
purposes.
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• Scuppernong
• Series
• Horizons
• O
• Cg

The Scuppernong series is a member of NC soil
management group 2 and consists of very deep,
well decomposed organic soils that formed in
shallow to moderately thick herbaceous plant
remains under swampy conditions in the Lower
Coastal Plain.
Loamy, mixed, dysic, thermic
Terric Haplosaprist
Great Group Haplosaprist
Subgroup Terric Haplosaprist
Suborder Saprist
Order Histol
Family Loamy, mixed,
dysic, thermic Terric
Haplosaprist
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Scuppernong
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• Leon
• Series
• Sandy, siliceous, thermic Aeric Alaquods
• Horizons
• A
• E
• Bh
• BE
• Bh
• C

The Leon series is a member of NC soil management
group 13 and consists of very deep, moderate to
moderately slowly permeable, poorly and very
poorly drained soils on upland flats,
depressions, stream terraces, and tidal areas.
They formed in sandy marine sediments of the
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain. Slopes range
from 0 to 5 percent.
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• Seabrook
• Series
• Mixed, thermic Aquic Udipsamments
• Horizons
• Ap
• C
• Cg

The Seabrook soil series is a member of NC soil
management group 22 and consists of very deep,
moderately well drained and highly permeable
soils on Coastal Plain terraces. They formed in
sandy marine and fluvial sediments. Slopes range
from 0 to 2 percent.
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• Norfolk
• Series
• Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kandiudults
• Horizons
• A
• E
• Bt
• BC
• C

The Norfolk soil series is a member of NC soil
management group 25 and consists of well drained,
moderately permeable soils in the uplands of the
Middle and Upper Coastal Plain. They form from
marine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 10
percent.
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Spatial distribution of 5 soil orders in Wayne
County, NC
http//www.virtualfarmersmarket.com/soilReport_Way
neCo.cfmGeneralSpatialDistribution
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Spatial distribution of 35 soil series in Wayne
County, NC
http//www.virtualfarmersmarket.com/soilReport_Way
neCo.cfmGeneralSpatialDistribution
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Piedmont region of NC
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Typical felsic crystalline system landscape
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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Dominant soil series in felsic crystalline system
landscapes
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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• Cecil
• Series
• Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults
• Horizons
• A
• Bt
• BC
• CB
• C

The Cecil series is a member of NC soil
management group 111 and consists of very deep,
well drained moderately permeable soils on ridges
and side slopes of the Piedmont uplands. They
formed in residuum weathered from felsic, igneous
and high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Piedmont
uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 25 percent.
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Typical mixed felsic and mafic system landscape
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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Dominant soil series in mixed felsic and mafic
system landscapes
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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Key to soil series in mixed felsic and mafic
system landscapes
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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• Lloyd
• Series
• Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Kanhapludults
• Horizons
• A
• Bt
• BC
• C

The Lloyd series is a member of NC soil
management group 109 and consists of very deep,
well drained, moderately permeable soils on
uplands in the Southern Piedmont. The soils
formed in residuum derived from intermediate and
mafic, igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks.
Slopes are commonly 2 to 10 percent but can be as
high as 50 percent.
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Typical Carolina Slate Belt system landscape
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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Dominant soil series in the Carolina Slate Belt
system
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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Key to soil series in the Carolina Slate Belt
system
Nanford
Tarrus
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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• Georgeville
• Series
• Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults
• Horizons
• Ap
• E
• Bt
• BC
• C

The Georgeville series is a member of NC soil
management group 113 and consists of very deep,
well drained, moderately permeable soils that
formed in material mostly weathered from
fine-grained metavolcanic rocks of the Carolina
Slate Belt. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent.
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• Cid
• Series
• Fine, mixed, semiactive, thermic, Aquic
  Hapludults
• Horizons
• A
• E
• Bt
• BC
• Cr
• R

The Cid series is a member of NC soil management
group 103 and consists of moderately deep,
moderately well drained or somewhat poorly
drained soils on Piedmont uplands. These soils
formed in residuum weathered from argillite and
other fine-grained metavolcanic rocks. Slope
ranges from 0 to 15 percent.
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• Goldston
• Series
• Loamy-skeletal, siliceous, semiactive, thermic,
  shallow Typic Dystrudepts
• Horizons
• A
• Bw
• Cr
• R

The Goldston series is a member of NC soil
management group 117 and consists of shallow,
well drained to excessively drained, moderately
rapidly permeable soils that formed in residuum
weathered from fine-grained metavolcanic rocks in
the Carolina Slate Belt. This soil averages more
than 35 percent coarse fragments by volume. Slope
ranges from 2 to 60 percent.
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• Callison
• Series
• Fine-silty, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Aquic
  Hapludults
• Horizons
• A
• E
• Bt
• BC
• Cr
• R

The Callison series is a member of NC soil
management group 106 and consists of moderately
deep, moderately well drained, moderately slowly
permeable soils that formed in material weathered
from Carolina slate of the Piedmont uplands.
Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent
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Dominant soil series in the Triassic basin system
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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Key to soil series in the Triassic Basin system
Wadesboro
Hanceville
Green Level
deeper
Polkton
Pinoka
NCSU Soils technical bulletin 314
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The Polkton series is a member of NC soil
management group 107 and consists of moderately
deep, moderately well drained, very slowly
permeable soils on uplands of the Triassic Basins
in the Southern Piedmont. They formed in residuum
weathered from Triassic siltstone, mudstone,
shale, and sandstone. Slope ranges from 2 to 25
percent

• Polkton
• Series
• Fine, mixed, active, thermic Oxyaquic Vertic
  Hapludalfs
• Horizons
• A
• Btss
• BC
• Cr
• R

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• Mayodan
• Series
• Fine, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Hapludults
• Horizons
• A
• E
• Bt
• BC
• C

The Mayodan series is a member of NC soil
management group 114 and consists of very deep,
well drained, moderately permeable soils that
formed in residuum weathered from Triassic
materials of the Piedmont uplands. Slopes range
from 1 to 50 percent.
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• Granville
• Series
• Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic
  Hapludults
• Horizons
• A
• Bt
• BC
• C

The Granville series is a member of NC soil
management group 116 and consists of very deep,
well drained, moderately permeable soils on
Piedmont uplands. They formed in residuum
weathered from Triassic sandstone and shale.
Slope ranges from 0 to 10 percent.
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The Picture series is a member of NC soil
management group 101 and consists of deep, poorly
drained, very slowly permeable, clayey soils that
formed in residuum weathered from mafic rocks
(commonly diabase in dikes and sills). These
soils are on nearly level upland flats and
depressions in Triassic areas of the Piedmont
uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent.

• Picture
• Series
• Fine, smectitic, thermic Vertic Argiaquolls
• Horizons
• A
• AB
• Btg
• BCg
• Cr

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