Annex 4

Suggestions for ranking qualifiers in soil unit names¹

The following suggestions for ranking qualifiers in Soil Unit names address only the most common qualifiers found in each Reference Soil Group. The suggested ranking orders are based on the following considerations:

• "strong expression qualifiers", if any, have the highest priority;
• "intergrade qualifiers", if any, are added next;
• "secondary characteristics qualifiers" that refer to defined diagnostic horizons, properties or soil materials are added next, and precede
• "secondary characteristics qualifiers" that are not directly related to defined diagnostic horizons, properties or soil materials (qualifiers referring to soil colour have the lowest priority); and
• the "haplic" qualifier is considered last.

Strong expression qualifiers

"Strong expression qualifiers" indicate which diagnostic criteria of the Soil Reference Group are strongly expressed in a particular soil profile. The following overview is tentative:

Qualifier	Reference Soil Group(s)	Qualifier	Reference Soil Group(s)
Turbic, Glacic	Histosols, Cryosols	Petroplinthic	Plinthosols
Hydragric, Irragric, Terric, Plaggic, Hortic	Anthrosols	Gibbsic, Geric, Posic	Ferralsols
Lithic, Hyperskeletic Rendzic	Leptosols	Chernic	Chernozems, Phaeozems
Thionic	Histosols, Vertisols, Fluvisols, Gleysols, Planosols, Umbrisols, Cambisols	Petrogypsic, Hypergypsic	Gypsisols
Vitric, Silandic, Aluandic, Eutrisilic, Melanic, Fulvic, Hydric	Andosols	Petroduric	Durisols
Densic, Carbic, Rustic	Podzols	Petrocalcic, Hypercalcic	Calcisols

Intergrade qualifiers

"Intergrade qualifiers' indicate a diagnostic horizon, property or soil material additional to the horizon(s), property/properties or material(s) whose presence of absence determined the Soil Reference Group and indicate that the soil holds an intermediate position between Groups.

1. Anthric refers to the presence of anthropedogenic horizons (Anthraquic, Hortic, Irragric, Plaggic and Terric) that are less than 50 cm thick; qualifiers used indicate the particular kind of anthropedogenic horizon, e.g. `Plaggic Podzol' instead of `Anthric Podzol'.
2. Salic is used instead of "Solonchakic"; intergrade qualifiers are not further subdivided (e.g. in Episalic or Hyposalic).
3. Ferralic does not indicate the presence of a ferralic horizon but of ferralic properties.
4. Natric is used instead of "Solonetzic.
5. Regic, also to indicate the absence of (recognisable) buried horizons in Anthrosols.

Qualifier	Intergrade to	Qualifier	Intergrade to	Qualifier	Intergrade to
Histic Cryic Gelic Anthric1 Leptic Vertic Fluvic Salic2 Gleyic Vitric	Histosols Cryosols Cryosols Anthrosols Leptosols Vertisols Fluvisols Solonchaks Gleysols Andosols	Andic Spodic Plinthic Ferralic3 Natric4 Planic Mollic Gypsic Duric	Andosols Podzols Plinthosols Ferralsols Solonetz Planosols Cherno-, Kastano- and Phaeozems Gypsisols Durisols	Calcic Albic Alic Nitic Acric Luvic Lixic Umbric Arenic Regic5	Calcisols Albeluvisols Alisols Nitisols Acrisols Luvisols Lixisols Umbrisols Arenosols Regosols

Secondary characteristics qualifiers referring to diagnostic horizons, properties or soil materials

These qualifiers refer to secondary soil characteristics that are directly linked to diagnostic horizons, properties or soil materials but do not indicate an intergrade between Reference Soil Groups.

Secondary characteristics qualifiers not referring to diagnostic horizons,
properties or soil materials

These qualifiers refer to a soil characteristic that indicates a particular water regime, soil solution or groundwater chemistry, exchange complex specification, weak soil development or morphological characteristics.

Qualifiers referring to soil colour can be added to the qualifiers tabulated above, if applicable. Some examples: Pellic (Vertisols), Rhodic (Ferralsols, Planosols, Alisols, Nitisols, Acrisols, Luvisols, Lixisols, Cambisols), Xanthic (Ferralsols), Chromic (Vertisols, Planosols, Kastanozems, Phaeozems, Durisols, Alisols, Acrisols, Luvisols, Lixisols, Cambisols) and Rubic (Arenosols).

Qualifier	Directly related diagnostic horizon, property or soil material	Qualifier	Directly related diagnostic horizon, property or soil material	Qualifier	Directly related diagnostic horizon, property or soil material
Fibric, Folic, Sapric	organic soil material, folic horizon, Histosols	Gelistagnic, Stagnic, Abruptic	stagnic properties, abrupt textural change, Planosols	Ferric	ferric horizon
Aric, Garbic, Reductic, Spolic, Urbic	Anthropedomorphic materials (in Regosols only), Anthrosols	Greyic	mollic horizon, Phaeozems	Profondic, Lamellic, Cutanic	argic horizon,clay illuviation/skins, Alisols, Acrisols, Luvisols, Lixisols
Thionic	sulfuric horizon or sulfidic soil material, Fluvisols, Gleysols	Pachic, Glossic, Humic	mollic or umbric horizon, Cherno-zems, Phaeozems, Umbrisols	Fragic	fragic horizon
Petrosalic, Hypersalic	salic horizon, Solonchaks	Gypsiric	gypsiric soil material, Gypsisols	Yermic	yermic horizon
Silandic, Aluandic, Fulvic, Tephric	silandic, aluandic, and fulvic horizons, tephric soil material, Andosols	Hyperduric	duric horizon, Durisols	Takyric	takyric horizon
Placic	Podzols	Calcaric	calcaric soil material, Calcisols	Aridic	aridic properties
Geric	geric properties, Ferralsols	Albic	albic horizon, Albeluvisols	Hyper-ochric	ochric horizon

The `haplic' qualifier

The `haplic' qualifier can occur in all Reference Soil Groups; it communicates that a soil meets the central concept of its Reference Soil Group and that there are no particular soil features that deserve to be separately mentioned. Sparing use of the `haplic' qualifier is recommended.

Qualifier	Characteristic and Reference Soil Group	Qualifier	Characteristic and Reference Soil Group	Qualifier	Characteristic and Reference Soil Group
Ombric, Rheic	water regime, Histosols	Aceric, Carbonatic, Chloridic, Sulphatic	soil solution chemistry, Solonchaks	Siltic	high silt content, Chernozems, Kastanozems, Phaeozems
Toxic, Alcalic	soil solution chemistry, Histo-sols, Gleysols	Acroxic	effective CEC, Andosols	Vermic	earthworm activity, Chernozems, Phaeozems, Regosols
Oxyaquic	water regime, Cryosols	Entic	weak development, Podzols	Arzic	sulphate-rich groundwater, Gypsisols
Anthropic (Regosols)	modification by human activity, Anthrosols	Sodic, Magnesic	ESP, exch. Ca:Mg ratio, Solonetz	Alumic	high Al saturation, Alisols
Skeletic	coarse fragments, Leptosols	Gibbsic, Vetic	gibbsite content, low ECECclay, Ferralsols	Protic	no horizon development, Arenosols
Mazic, Grumic, Mesotrophic	surface structure, base saturation, Vertisols	Ruptic	lithological discontinuity, Planosols	Dystric, Eutric	base saturation, many Reference Soil Groups

Suggestions for ranking common qualifiers in each Reference Soil Group

HISTOSOLS	CRYOSOLS	ANTHROSOLS	LEPTOSOLS	VERTISOLS
Glacic Thionic Cryic Gelic Salic Folic Fibric Sapric Ombric Rheic Alcalic Toxic Dystric Eutric Haplic	Turbic Glacic Histic Lithic Leptic Salic Gleyic Andic Natric Mollic Gypsic Calcic Umbric Thionic Stagnic Yermic Aridic Oxyaquic Haplic	Hydragric Irragric Terric Plaggic Hortic Gleyic Spodic Ferralic Luvic Arenic Regic Stagnic Haplic	Lithic Hyperskeletic Rendzic Gelic Vertic Gleyic Mollic Umbric Humic Gypsiric Calcaric Yermic Aridic Dystric Eutric Haplic	Thionic Salic Natric Gypsic Duric Calcic Alic Gypsiric Grumic Mazic Mesotrophic Hyposodic Eutric Pellic Chromic Haplic
FLUVISOLS	SOLONCHAKS	GLEYSOLS	Andosols	PODZOLS
Thionic Histic Gelic Salic Gleyic Mollic Umbric Arenic Tephric Stagnic Humic Gypsiric Calcaric Takyric Yermic Aridic Skeletic Sodic Dystric Eutric Haplic	Histic Gelic Vertic Gleyic Mollic Gypsic Duric Calcic Petrosalic Hypersalic Stagnic Takyric Yermic Aridic Hyperochric Aceric Chloridic Sulphatic Carbonatic Sodic Haplic	Thionic Histic Gelic Anthraquic Vertic Endosalic Andic Vitric Plinthic Mollic Gypsic Calcic Umbric Arenic Tephric Stagnic Abruptic Humic Calcaric Takyric Alcalic Toxic Sodic Alumic Dystric Eutric Haplic	Vitric Silandic Aluandic Eutrisilic Melanic Fulvic Hydric Histic Leptic Gleyic Mollic Duric Luvic Umbric Arenic Placic Pachic Calcaric Skeletic Acroxic Vetic Sodic Dystric Eutric Haplic	Densic Carbic Rustic Histic Gelic Anthric Gleyic Umbric Placic Skeletic Stagnic Lamellic Fragic Entic Haplic

PLINTHOSOLS	FERRALSOLS	SOLONETZ	PLANOSOLS	CHERNOZEMS
Petric Endoduric Alic Acric Umbric Geric Stagnic Abruptic Pachic Glossic Humic Albic Ferric Skeletic Vetic Alumic Endoeutric Haplic	Gibbsic Geric Posic Histic Gleyic Andic Plinthic Mollic Acric Lixic Umbric Arenic Endostagnic Humic Ferric Vetic Alumic Hyperdystric Hypereutric Rhodic Xanthic Haplic	Vertic Salic Gleyic Mollic Alcalic Gypsic Duric Calcic Stagnic Humic Albic Takyric Yermic Aridic Magnesic Haplic	Thionic Histic Gelic Vertic Endosalic Gleyic Plinthic Mollic Gypsic Calcic Alic Luvic Umbric Arenic Geric Calcaric Albic Ferric Alcalic Sodic Alumic Dystric Eutric Rhodic Chromic Haplic	Chernic Vertic Gleyic Calcic Luvic Glossic Siltic Vermic Haplic
KASTANOZEMS	PHAEOZEMS	GYPSISOLS	DURISOLS	CALCISOLS
Anthric Vertic Petrogypsic Gypsic Petrocalcic Calcic Luvic Hyposodic Siltic Chromic Haplic	Chernic Leptic Vertic Gleyic Vitric Andic Luvic Tephric Stagnic Abruptic Greyic Pachic Glossic Calcaric Albic Skeletic Sodic Siltic Vermic Dystric Chromic Haplic	Petric Hypergypsic Leptic Vertic Endosalic Duric Calcic Luvic Takyric Yermic Aridic Hyperochric Skeletic Sodic Arzic Haplic	Petric Leptic Vertic Gypsic Calcic Luvic Arenic Hyperduric Takyric Yermic Aridic Hyperochric Chromic Haplic	Petric Hypercalcic Leptic Vertic Endosalic Gleyic Luvic Takyric Yermic Aridic Hyperochric Skeletic Sodic Haplic

ALBELUVISOLS	ALISOLS	NITISOLS	ACRISOLS	LUVISOLS
Histic Gleyic Alic Umbric Arenic Gelic Stagnic Abruptic Ferric Fragic Siltic Alumic Endoeutric Haplic	Vertic Gleyic Andic Plinthic Nitic Umbric Arenic Stagnic Abruptic Humic Albic Profondic Lamellic Ferric Skeletic Hyperdystric Rhodic Chromic Haplic	Andic Ferralic Mollic Alic Umbric Humic Vetic Alumic Dystric Eutric Rhodic Haplic	Leptic Gleyic Vitric Andic Plinthic Umbric Arenic Stagnic Abruptic Geric Humic Albic Profondic Lamellic Ferric Hyperochric Skeletic Vetic Alumic Hyperdystric Rhodic Chromic Haplic	Leptic Vertic Gleyic Vitric Andic Calcic Arenic Stagnic Abruptic Albic Profondic Lamellic Cutanic Ferric Hyperochric Skeletic Hyposodic Dystric Rhodic Chromic Haplic
LIXISOLS	UMBRISOLS	CAMBISOLS	ARENOSOLS	REGOSOLS
Leptic Gleyic Vitric Andic Plinthic Calcic Arenic Geric Stagnic Abruptic Humic Albic Profondic Lamellic Ferric Hyperochric Vetic Rhodic Chromic Haplic	Thionic Gelic Anthric Leptic Gleyic Ferralic Arenic Stagnic Humic Albic Skeletic Haplic	Thionic Gelic Leptic Vertic Fluvic Endosalic Gleyic Vitric Andic Plinthic Ferralic Gelistagnic Stagnic Humic Calcaric Gypsiric Takyric Yermic Aridic Hyperochric Skeletic Sodic Dystric Eutric Rhodic Chromic Haplic	Gelic Hyposalic Gleyic Hyperalbic Plinthic Hypoferralic Hypoluvic Tephric Gypsiric Calcaric Albic Lamellic Fragic Yermic Aridic Protic Dystric Eutric Rubic Haplic	Gelic Leptic Hyposalic Gleyic Thaptovitric Thaptoandic Arenic Aric Garbic Reductic Spolic Urbic Tephric Gelistagnic Stagnic Humic Gypsiric Calcaric Takyric Yermic Aridic Hyperochric Anthropic Skeletic Hyposodic Vermic Dystric Eutric Haplic

¹ This Annex was contributed by F. Berding.